ABSTRACT
Sera were collected from 40 female and two male woodland caribou (Rangifer tarandus caribou) in Saskatchewan (Canada) from March 1992 to January 1995, inclusive. The samples were examined for antibodies against smooth Brucella spp., five serovars of Leptospira interrogans, bovine viral diarrhea virus, and bovine herpesvirus 1 (BHV-1). Twenty-two (52%) of 42 sera exhibited positive reactions to BHV-1 by a modified serum neutralization test, and the prevalence correlated positively with the age of the animals. No antibodies were detected against the other pathogens. This is the first reported evidence of herpesvirus infection in isolated populations of woodland caribou in western Canada.
Subject(s)
Herpesviridae Infections/veterinary , Herpesvirus 1, Bovine/immunology , Reindeer/virology , Age Distribution , Agglutination Tests/veterinary , Animals , Animals, Wild , Antibodies, Bacterial/blood , Antibodies, Viral/analysis , Antibodies, Viral/blood , Brucella/immunology , Diarrhea Viruses, Bovine Viral/immunology , Female , Herpesviridae Infections/blood , Herpesviridae Infections/epidemiology , Leptospira/immunology , Male , Neutralization Tests/veterinary , Saskatchewan/epidemiology , Seroepidemiologic StudiesABSTRACT
Four serological tests were evaluated for their ability to detect passively acquired maternal antibodies to Bovine herpesvirus 1. A blocking enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay demonstrated superior sensitivity in the detection of such antibodies in calves up to 9-11 months old, versus calves up to 7 months old for other tests.
