Diagnosi diretta e indiretta dell'infezione da Herpesvirus 1 in bufali del Sud Italia

The Mediterranean buffalo (Bubalus bubalis) is the primary host and reservoir of Bubaline Herpesvirus 1 (BuHV-1). In the buffalo species it is also known that Bovine Herpesvirus 1 also circulates (BoHV-1). BoHV-1 and BuHV-1 belong to the subfamily of α-herpesvirinae, and although they are highly correlated with each other, but phylogenetic analysis classifies them as different pathogens. They induce highly transmissible diseases such as IBR, IPV, IPB; and establish latency in the cranial (trigeminal ganglions, TGs) and/or sacral ganglions. This represents a problem in terms of pathology and epidemiology as there is an additional dissemination of the virus in the external environment and thus represents a further contagion for healthy animals. The two pathogens compromising the airway pathway and the venereal pathway of the buffalo induce both direct medical damage (subclinical/clinical disease) and indirect (economic: hypofertility / infertility, loss of milk production, abortion, encephalitis, veterinary expenses, etc.). In the present research project the main purpose was to perform a diagnosis of Herpesvirus 1 infection (BoHV-1 and BuHV-1), using direct and indirect methods, on buffalo samples taken in southern Italy, particularly in the Campania region, and evaluate its effective efficiency, sensitivity, specificity, discriminating power. This is so that in drafting plans for future remediation for the buffalo species, pay attention to the choice of diagnostic tests, so as to identify the most performing to achieve the goal.