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Detection of coronaviridae virus RNA in rattus spp. in Klang Valley

Husain, Nurul Afiqah (2022) Detection of coronaviridae virus RNA in rattus spp. in Klang Valley. [Project Paper] (Submitted)

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Abstract

The importance of Coronaviridae in animals as a potential threat and deadly zoonotic disease has been highlighted since the pandemic of COVID-19. Rats are highly populated and live in close proximity to humans, increasing the risk of pathogen transmission. Coronavirus in Rattus spp. infects the respiratory tract, eyes, lacrimal and salivary glands that could be transmitted through direct contact, fomites or aerosol. However, screening of Coronaviridae RNA in rats has not been conducted in Malaysia. Therefore, this study aims to conduct a preliminary screening to detect the presence of Coronaviridae RNA in rats in Klang Valley. A total of 35 rats collected from selected markets in Klang Valley were sampled for blood serum and oropharyngeal swabs. The RNA was extracted using a TRIzolTM reagent, followed by a semi-nested reverse-transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) assay targeting the RNA-dependent RNA polymerase (RdRp) gene and lastly gel electrophoresis. Amplicon at approximately 440bp was expected from the first round and 434bp from the second round. The results showed none of the swab samples was positive for Coronaviridae RNA, however, 4 out of 35 serum samples suspected to be positive were subjected to partial gene sequencing also revealed negative results. It is possibly due to the non-viraemic state, low sample size, and limited sample types. Although Coronaviridae RNA is undetected in this study, the potential of zoonotic risk and the ability of the virus to overcome the species barriers and adapt to new hosts shall not be ignored.

Item Type: Project Paper
Faculty: Faculty of Veterinary Medicine
Depositing User: Ms. Nordeena Abdul Aziz
Date Deposited: 29 Jul 2024 02:57
Last Modified: 29 Jul 2024 02:57
URI: http://psaspb.upm.edu.my/id/eprint/2000

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