Characterization and Phylogenetic Analysis of the Hemagglutinin Gene in H9 Influenza Viruses from Chickens in Morocco from 2017 to 2019.

Since the early 2000s, the avian influenza virus (AIV) subtype H9N2 has been widely circulating in North African countries, including Libya, Tunisia, and Egypt. For unknown reasons, H9N2 was not detected in Moroccan farms until the end of 2016, and at present, it is endemic in poultry. This study was carried out to evaluate the evolution of H9 AIVs in Morocco from 2017 to 2019.

Comparison of SYBR green I real-time RT-PCR with conventional agarose gel-based RT-PCR for the diagnosis of infectious bronchitis virus infection in chickens in Morocco.

Background: A rapid, sensitive, and specific molecular method for the diagnosis of infectious bronchitis virus (IBV) infection is important in curbing infectious bronchitis outbreaks in Morocco and other countries.

Methods: In this study, an easy-to-perform SYBR green I real-time reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) targeting the nucleocapsid gene of IBV was developed and compared with conventional agarose gel-based RT-PCR for the detection of IBV infection.

Results: We found that the SYBR green I real-time RT-PCR was at least 10 times more sensitive than the agarose gel electrophoresis detection method.