Detection of Avian Influenza (H5n1) in Some Egyptian Crustaceans from Egypt

To check the liability of some marine and freshwater crustaceans to contract infection with Avian Influenza (H5N1) Randomly 268 different shellfish samples including 28 P. clarckii were collected from Abbassa, Sharkeya city and 240 marine samples (100 P. japonicus, 100 P. semisulcatus, 20 C. sapidus and 20 P. pelagicus) were collected from Suez-Gulf, Suez city and Murrah Lake, Ismailia city. Most of clinically examined Samples were apparently healthy. All marine shellfish samples (Shrimps and Crabs) were negative for H5N1 virus upon using RT-PCR utilizing the highly specific oligonucleotide primers where the 189 bp bands were not detected at any of the tested samples, while only 4/28 Red swamp crayfish were positive. Molecular screening using RT-PCR revealed no infection in all marine examined samples and remarkably showed that 14.4% of freshwater crayfish were positive for H5N1 virus.