The aim of the present study was to isolate, identify and genetically characterize bovine herpes virus Type 1 (BoHV-1) from suspected cattle showing clinical symptoms of respiratory disease in Dakahlia, Egypt, September 2018. BoHV-1 was isolated on specific pathogen freeembryonated chicken eggs (SPF-ECE) from suspected nasal swabs and lung tissue samples. Pock lesions on the chorio-allantoic membrane (CAM) of SPF-ECE ranged from 1 to 2 mm in diameter and scattered all over the membrane that were more pronounced after the third passage. PCR assay specific for BoHV-1 gC gene was also performed for molecular identification of the viral isolate and the gC PCR product was sequenced. Phylogenetic analysis of gC gene sequence identified and clustered our isolate with BoHV1. This highlights the isolation, rapid and sensitive detection, and identification of BoHV-1 virus from clinical cases and its subtyping by nucleotide sequencing and subsequent phylogenetic analysis which gives valuable information about the molecular epidemiology of BoHV-1 subtypes prevalent in the country

Bovine herpes virus type 1 (BoHV-1) is an economically important, worldwide distributed pathogen of domestic and wild Bovidae. It causes respiratory tract manifestations and/or abortion. The present study was achieved to study seroprevalence and isolate BoHV-1 from suspected cattle, buffaloes, sheep and goats collected from three governorates in Egypt (Menofya, Kalubeya and Dakahlia) during the years 2017 and 2018. Serum and milk samples obtained from apparently healthy non-vaccinated animals were tested for detection of BoHV-1 specific antibodies by indirect ELISA method. A total of 78 (22.5%) serum samples and 46 (13.3%) milk samples out of 346 and 300 samples, respectively, were positive. Virus was isolated from nasal swabs and lung tissue samples on chorio-allantoic membrane (CAM) of 11-day-old specific pathogen free embryonated chicken eggs. It showed pin-point small foci, scattered on CAM membrane. Examination by electron microscope using positive staining methods showed the characteristic morphology of the herpes virion (an enveloped virus with 120 to 200 nm diameter). The viral isolate was confirmed to be BoHV-1 in a PCR assay using specific primers produced a fragment (575 bp) of gC encoding gene in the viral DNA genome.