ABSTRACT
An 11-d-old Holstein bull calf was presented to the Veterinary Medical Teaching Hospital at the University of Wisconsin-Madison because of a 4-d history of diarrhea and persistent low-grade fever. Initial diagnosis was enteritis caused by Cryptosporidium and rotavirus. During hospitalization, the calf became stuporous and was only responsive to noxious stimuli, with hypotonia of all 4 limbs, tail, head, and neck. A cerebrospinal fluid analysis revealed xanthochromia, with marked lymphocytic pleocytosis, which was suggestive of viral meningitis and/or encephalitis. Aichivirus B, which belongs to the Kobuvirus genus, was tentatively identified in spinal fluid by next-generation DNA sequencing. This virus can affect a multitude of species, including humans and cattle, and has been isolated from both healthy and diarrheic individuals. However, to date, a possible connection with neurologic disease has not been described, to our knowledge.
Subject(s)
Cattle Diseases/diagnosis , Kobuvirus/isolation & purification , Picornaviridae Infections/veterinary , Animals , Animals, Newborn , Cattle , Cattle Diseases/virology , Diagnosis, Differential , Diarrhea/veterinary , Kobuvirus/genetics , Male , Picornaviridae Infections/diagnosis , WisconsinABSTRACT
Bovine herpesvirus 1 (BoHV-1) is an infectious agent of concern in the international export of bovine products; it is endemic in the United States, but it has been eradicated in many countries of the European Union (EU). For export of semen to the EU, accurate assessment of BoHV-1 status of the bull is required and is usually accomplished by measuring the level of antibody to the virus. The gold standard is virus neutralization (VN) using overnight incubation with the virus, a test approved by the World Organization for Animal Health (OIE). Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) is also approved for international trade. The lone U.S. Department of Agriculture-approved commercial ELISA was compromised with specificity problems, which necessitated the development of a different ELISA. Of 4 monoclonal antibodies evaluated, 1 directed against glycoprotein C of BoHV-1 was found to be the most reliable. One hundred twenty-eight characterized positive samples and 334 negative serum samples were tested. The blocking ELISA showed 97.7% sensitivity and 99.4% specificity as compared with OIE VN. The Wisconsin Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory ELISA fulfills the OIE requirement for a blocking or competitive ELISA to qualify animals for export to BoHV-1-free countries.
