Herpesvírus bovinos (BoHV-1.1 e BoHV-1.2b) em forma infecciosa em encéfalos de bovinos submetidos ao diagnóstico de raiva no estado do Rio Grande do Sul / Bovine herpesviruses (BoHV-1 and BoHV-1.2b) in infectious form in brains of cattle submitted to rabies diagnosis in the State of Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil

Verificou-se a incidência de herpesvírus bovinos (BoHVs) em encéfalos de bovinos submetidos ao diagnóstico de raiva no estado do Rio Grande do Sul. Para tanto, amostras coletadas durante dois anos (n=70) foram submetidas ao isolamento viral em cultivos celulares. Os BoHVs foram isolados em dois (2,9 por cento) encéfalos. Após serem submetidas à caracterização antigênica e molecular, as amostras foram subtipadas como BoHV-1.1 e BoHV-1.2b. A BoHV-1.1 foi isolada de um encéfalo que foi também positivo para raiva. O vírus da raiva foi identificado em 11 amostras (15,7 por cento). Estes achados revelam que a incidência de BoHVs em forma infecciosa em bovinos com encefalite foi baixa, embora represente 16,7 por cento (2/12) dos encéfalos nos quais um agente viral foi identificado. Tal fato confirma a já reportada associação entre BoHV-1 e encefalites. Esse é o primeiro relato da ocorrência de BoHV-1.2b, um subtipo considerado menos patogênico, em um caso de doença neurológica em bovinos.

The incidence of bovine herpesviruses (BoHVs) was determined in brains of cattle submitted to rabies diagnosis in the State of Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil. Brain samples collected in a two-year interval (n=70) were submitted to virus isolation in cell culture. The BoHVs were isolated from two (2.9 percent) of the brains. After the antigenic and molecular characterization, the isolated strains were subtyped as BoHV-1.1 and BoHV-1.2b. The BoHV-1.1 isolate was recovered from a brain sample that was also positive for rabies. Rabies virus was identified in 11 (15.7 percent) samples. These findings reveal that the incidence of infectious BoHVs in brains of cattle with encephalitis was low, although these represented 16.7 percent (2/12) of samples from which at least one viral agent was identified. This confirms the previously reported link between BoHV-1 and bovine encephalitis. However, it is the first report on the association of BoHV-1.2b, a putatively less pathogenic BoHV subtype, with neurological disease in cattle.

Caracterização de amostras do vírus da raiva, isoladas nas regiões Norte e Centro-Oeste do Brasil, com anticorpos monoclonais antilissavírus / Antigenic characterization of Brazilian rabies virus isolate North and Central West regions of Brazil with anti-lyssavirus monoclonal antibodies

The occurrence of rabies virus antigenic variants in North and Central West regions of Brazil was studied using 61 rabies viruses isolated from different species: 30 from domestic dogs, 20 from cattle, four from horses, two from cats, one from a human and four from unidentified species. The isolates were submitted to antigenic analyses by indirect immunofluorescence with a panel of 12 monoclonal antibodies (Mabs) to lyssavirus antigens. Antigenic analyses revealed consistent differences between isolates whose natural hosts were dogs and those of haematophagous bats, often isolated from cattle. Three out of four isolates from horses and one from a domestic dog showed patterns of reactivity found only in viruses of insectivorous bats, indicating that non-haematophagous bats do play a unique role in the transmission of the virus to other species.