Rotavirus infection in cattle.

Rotavirus is one of the major causes of diarrhea in different animal species and has a bad economic impact due to the losses in neonates and productivity. To investigate the occurrence of this infection in bovine calves, three localities in Khartoum State, Sudan, were selected. A total of 200 fecal samples were collected from diarrheic calves; 100 from Khartoum and 50 from each of Khartoum Bahari and Omdurman provinces. Collected samples were screened for a group A rotavirus antigen using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Positive results were seen in 40.00% of samples; the highest prevalence of 42.00% was found in samples from Khartoum province. Five ELISA-positive samples were examined under electron microscope, and characteristic wheel-like appearance of rotavirus was visualized. Polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis was also applied on 15 of the positive samples; eight samples showed different polyacrylamide gel electrophoretic group A rotavirus long profile with different patterns. The results showed that the occurrence of rotavirus infection in cattle in Khartoum State is increasing.