Iranian Journal of Virology
Volume:11 Issue: 1, 2017

Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) infection is very common in the population. Virus belongs to the family Herpesviridae, whose representatives are characterized by the ability to cause the human body latent persistent infections. The goal of this study was to assess EBV infection frequency using PCR method in samples from inflammatory eye disease, in comparison with EBV presence in Eye Infection and control group.
Primers were designed for conserved regions of the EBV genome. We have used PCR for rapid, accurate detection of EBV DNA in blood and from eye swabs. We have chosen to study patients with eye inflammation or infection symptom.
EBV DNA was detectable in 5 of 130 control samples of serum (3.84%). EBV infection was seen in 1 out of 20 patients’ serum samples. Compared with the controls, the presence of EBV DNA was in samples of the patient group. Three out of 20 patients in patient group and 2 out of 130 of control group had detectable EBV DNA in their ocular swab.
We have presented evidence for the presence of EBV sequences in normal and eye inflammation samples with PCR. The prevalence of EBV in ocular disease samples varied dramatically that this wide range may be due to variations and inconsistency in the techniques used for detection of the virus and its components and genetic susceptibility.

Foot-and-Mouth Disease (FMD) is a highly contagious infectious disease of livestock which has made a barrier to hygiene causing severe loss in livestock and their products. The aim of this study was the assessment of antibody response against foot and mouth disease virus types A13, A15 , O2010, after injection of FMD vaccine candidate produced by Razi Institue.
twenty non-vaccinated healthy calves were purchased and their health was evaluated. In order to ensure the absence of antibodies against FMD virus of all types, the blood of animal was sampled and subjected to serum neutralization test (SNT).
The SNT method was performed by the micro-neutralization test. Serum samples were tested before and after vaccination. Six wells of dilutions, 1/8 to 1/256 of serum were prepared and after adding the FMD virus they were incubated and then were added to the cell culture. After 48 hours the CPE was checked.
The mean serum titers of antibodies against all three viral type Average A13, A15 and O2010 prior to vaccination was equal to 0.6. One week after the injection, the antibody titer increased especially against A15 in a significant difference (p value=0.017) compared to two other types. The serum antibody titers increase in the three virus types were continued one month after injection. Since then the A13 and A15 type antibody titer underwent increasing but declined against O2010 type. In the second month after the injection, the titer against A13 and A15 remained in stationary state and declined against O2010 type. The statistical analysis showed that the antibody level against the viral types was significantly different in 7 days, 1, 2, 4, 6 and 7 months after the injection.
The FMD vaccine produced by Razi institute showed the ability to protect animals become dependent on test conditions, the type O2010 for 6 months and for the type A15 and A13 for 7 months after vaccination.

Human Papillomaviruses (HPVs) have anestablished role in the development of cervical cancer. However, the presence of underlying conditions such as HIV/AIDS is necessary for this to occur. This studyaimed to evaluate the prevalence of HPV DNA in plasma samples from HIV-positive patients in Tehran, Iran.
Plasma specimens from 95 patients diagnosed with HIV infection from Tehran’s hospitals were examined for the presence of HPV DNA by means of a Real-Time polymerase chain reaction (PCR) assay with the amplification of a fragment of L1 region of the HPV genome. Furthermore, HIV viral load testing was performed for all patients using the COBAS TaqMan assay.
Out of 95 patients, 59 (62%) and 36 (38%) of the cases were males and females, respectively. The mean age of the patients was 37.42 ± 11.25 (range 2–69) years. The mean HIV viral load of all patients with HIV was 73010.754 copies per ml. None of the 95 HIV-positive patients tested had HPV DNA detected in their plasma by Real-Time PCR assay.
Previous studies have suggested that patients with HIV infection are at risk for acquiring HPV infection. However, we have shown no evidence of HPV DNA in plasma samples of patients with HIV.

Infectious bronchitis virus (IBV) belongs to the group of gamma coronaviruses along with other avian coronaviruses. The disease caused by IBV can appear similar to infectious laryngotracheitis, avian influenza, and velogenic Newcastle disease, which are high priority diseases. The clinical signs can be accompanied by mortalities in broiler chickens and reduced eggshell and albumin quality in layer hens, leading to economic loss for the poultry industry. Rapid detection of IBV is useful for implementation of control measures, research purposes, and understanding the epidemiology and evolution of IBVs. The aim of the present study was the rapid identification of IB with the molecular method, which targets the 5’ untranslated region (UTR) gene of IBV that is less variable than the other genes, with homologies greater than 90% among IBV strains.
The primers designed to amplify a conserved fragment of the gene. Analytical sensitivity and specificity of the assay were determined.
The results of specificity exhibited the specific amplification of the designed primers for IBV. Sensitivity was 10 pg/μl of the pTZ57R/T-5' UTR. This is the first report of RT-PCR method coupled with construction of comparative internal positive control (IPC) according to 5´UTR gene for accurate detection of IBV. 100 fg/μl of the IPC amplified in the presence of the limit of detection (10 pg/μl) of 5' UTR gene was determined as the optimal concentration of IPC plasmid for RT-PCR of clinical specimens.
The RT-PCR assay presented provides a time saving, sensitive, and reliable method for detection of IBV.

Influenza is one of the most important emerging and reemerging infectious diseases in the world. The aim of this study is molecular and phylogenetic analyses of the variations in circulating influenza A/H1N1 virus isolates during 2014-2015 in Iran and investigate on the drug resistance conditions in the related Iranian isolates.
Material and Throat samples from Iranian patients with acute respiratory tract infection were subjected for typing and subtyping by multiplex real-time RT–PCR. Seven positive samples were randomly selected and full-length amplification of Neuraminidase gene (NA) were carried out by RT-PCR. The related amplicons were sequenced and analyzed by bioinformatics software.
Phylogenetic analysis on the NA gene of the A/H1N1 isolates revealed a high degree of sequence identity with the corresponding NA genes from viruses circulating in the USA, Russian, India, Thailand, and East Asia region. Moreover, the NA sequences showed point mutations N44S, V106I, V241I, N248D, N369K; resulted in increasing of stability and transmission improvement of the viruses [1, 2]. The NA sequences showed a similarity of 98-99% with the reference strain NC_026434.1 /California/2009. 52.5% of mutations were silent. On amino acid level, the dedicated sequence of NA protein showed 97% identity among isolates. Oseltamivir and Zanamivir resistant mutations were not detected in the isolates.
Gathering NA sequence data of influenza viruses isolated from Iran and compare it with counterpart data from other geographical regions would be helpful to explain epidemiological rules governing antigenic drift and reveal the antiviral drug (neuraminidase inhibitors) sensitivity of human influenza A (H1N1) viruses.

Avian metapneumovirus (aMPV) represents one of the most prevalent diseases of poultry mainly in combination with other pathogens, and it is increasing among chickens. In the present study, the detection and characterization of an aMPV subtype B strain circulating in broiler flocks based on fusion (F) gene. In phylogenetic analysis, the isolates are located in B subtype cluster and near aMPV strains from Russia (99.58%). It is the first molecular characterization based on F gene of aMPV in Iran. It is also concluded that more work is required to isolate and characterized aMPV in different geographical regions of Iran and several species.