Psittacine Beak and Feather Disease (PBFD) is a contagious, fatal viral disease that affects the beak, feathers, and immune system of wild and captive old and New World Psittacine. PBFD is characterized by feather abnormalities, beak and claw deformities and eventually dying as a result of immunosuppressant. The disease is caused by member of the genus circovirus in the family Circoviridae. The disease diagnosed by clinical signs and laboratory detections. The serological diagnosis by haemagglutination (HA) and haemagglutination inhibition (HI) is subjective but molecular technique using Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) is the most reliable means for confirming the presence of the PBFDV ambience DNA genome in whole blood or tissue samples. Many birds were presented to the veterinary clinic with clinical signs of PBFD. No reports document the presence of PBFDV in KSA to date. Therefore, the objective of this work was to investigate the presence of PBFDV in KSA using PCR. Total 175 samples (blood and feathers) from clinically-suspect, and apparently-health birds from 10 different psittacine species were collected, DNA was extracted and conventional PCR was performed. The viral DNA was identified in six samples (6/175) four Grey parrots (Psittacus erithacus), and two ring necks (Psittacula eupatria eupatria). PBFDV was identified for the first time in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA). During this investigation, we developed a technique for faster and simpler processing of multiple feather samples. The isolated PBFDV could be characterize and use as positive control for further research purpose. We recommend that the Rep gene feather-based PCR technique be established as a routine diagnostic tool in quarantine facilities across the country.

Shrimp industry is one of the important sectors in the kingdom of Saudi Arabia and it has shown steep production and economic values. WSSV is a major pathogen which causing 100% mortality and economic losses in world wide. In KSA two most important species such as Litopenaeus vannamei and Fenneropenaeus indicus were cultured widely. Due to the sheer expansion of shrimp culture industry, WSSV occurrences was found in F. indicus and followed by WSSV outbreak, SPF L. vannamei was imported and cultured in KSA with stringent biosecurity measures implied by ministry of water, environment and agriculture. The present study was aims to identify the presence of WSSV in L. vannamei in selected area of KSA applying molecular method. Samples were collected from Jazan region it was fixed in 95% ethanol and stored in -80°C for the analysis. The collected samples were subjected to nucleic acid (DNA) extraction, followed by conventional and real time PCR. The obtained positive PCR products were purified, and it was sequenced. The sequences analyzed to see the similarities in NCBI blast. The present study found that the collected samples were shown a clear positive in F. indicus and L. vannamei in conventional and real time PCR analysis. The obtained sequences were shown 97% similarities with other WSSV isolates in Gen Bank. The obtained data from this study was found to be the presence of WSSV in KSA. PCR followed by sequencing was useful to identify the presence of WSSV in a shrimp project area. Furthermore, we suggest more molecular studies for prevalence of WSSV.

No abstract