Dynamics of neutralizing antibodies against Bovine respiratory syncytial virus in a dairy herd from Santa Fe Province, Argentina

Abstract Bovine respiratory syncytial virus (BRSV) is one of the most relevant agents responsi-ble for respiratory disease in cattle from both dairy and beef farms. BRSV is spread by horizontalcontact causing a constant presence of seropositive animals that favors viral circulation throughout the year. Moreover, reinfections with BRSV are frequent between animals regardless of theirage as BRSV does not confer long-lasting protective immunity. Several studies have demonstrated the circulation of BRSV in cattle from different regions of the world; however, little isknown about the dynamics of BRSV infection in cows before and after they begin lactation. Theaim of this work was to study the dynamics of BRSV neutralizing antibodies from birth up to36 months of age in a closed dairy herd of Argentina specifically around the lactation period. Passive maternal antibodies against BRSV started to decrease monthly and became almost undetectable at 8 months of age. We detected two potential infection points at months 11 and 27after birth, in which 30% and 45% of the animals showed seroconversion, respectively. Specifically, an increase in the proportion of seropositive cows after the start of lactation suggests thatthey became reinfected around the time they began lactating. We demonstrate the importanceof understanding BRSV dynamics in a closed dairy herd to review the vaccination schedule ofthe animals to achieve protection against BRSV infection.

Resumen El virus respiratorio sincitial bovino (Bovine respiratory syncytial virus, [BRSV]) es uno de los principales agentes responsables de la enfermedad respiratoria en bovinos, tanto de tambos como de cría. El virus se transmite horizontalmente y causa la presencia constante de animales seropositivos, lo cual favorece la circulación viral a lo largo del ano. A su vez, las reinfecciones por BRSV son frecuentes entre animales independientemente de su edad, dado que el virus no confiere inmunidad protectora a largo plazo. Numerosos estudios han demostrado la circulación de BRSV en bovinos de diferentes regiones del mundo, sin embargo, poco se conoce acerca de la dinámica de infección en vacas antes y después del inicio de la fase de lactancia. El objetivo de este trabajo fue estudiar la dinámica de anticuerpos neutralizantes anti- BRSV en vacas lecheras desde el nacimiento hasta los 36 meses de vida en un tambo cerrado de Argentina, específicamente, en el período de lactancia. Los anticuerpos pasivos específicos para BRSV comenzaron a declinar mensualmente hasta ser casi indetectables a los 6 meses. Detectamos dos potenciales puntos de infección a los meses 11 y 27 luego del nacimiento, momentos en los que el 30 y el 45% de los animales mostraron seroconversión, respectivamente. El incremento en la proporción de vacas seropositivas luego del comienzo de la lactancia sugiere que estas se reinfectaron en el inicio de dicha etapa. Demostramos la importancia de entender la dinámica de circulación del BRSV en un tambo cerrado, a fin de revisar el esquema de vacunación de los animales para que estén protegidos frente a la posible infección por este virus.

Dynamics of neutralizing antibodies against Bovine respiratory syncytial virus in a dairy herd from Santa Fe Province, Argentina.

Bovine respiratory syncytial virus (BRSV) is one of the most relevant agents responsible for respiratory disease in cattle from both dairy and beef farms. BRSV is spread by horizontal contact causing a constant presence of seropositive animals that favors viral circulation throughout the year. Moreover, reinfections with BRSV are frequent between animals regardless of their age as BRSV does not confer long-lasting protective immunity. Several studies have demonstrated the circulation of BRSV in cattle from different regions of the world; however, little is known about the dynamics of BRSV infection in cows before and after they begin lactation. The aim of this work was to study the dynamics of BRSV neutralizing antibodies from birth up to 36 months of age in a closed dairy herd of Argentina specifically around the lactation period. Passive maternal antibodies against BRSV started to decrease monthly and became almost undetectable at 8 months of age. We detected two potential infection points at months 11 and 27 after birth, in which 30% and 45% of the animals showed seroconversion, respectively. Specifically, an increase in the proportion of seropositive cows after the start of lactation suggests that they became reinfected around the time they began lactating. We demonstrate the importance of understanding BRSV dynamics in a closed dairy herd to review the vaccination schedule of the animals to achieve protection against BRSV infection.

El virus respiratorio sincitial bovino (Bovine respiratory syncytial virus, [BRSV]) es uno de los principales agentes responsables de la enfermedad respiratoria en bovinos, tanto de tambos como de cría. El virus se transmite horizontalmente y causa la presencia constante de animales seropositivos, lo cual favorece la circulación viral a lo largo del año. A su vez, las reinfecciones por BRSV son frecuentes entre animales independientemente de su edad, dado que el virus no confiere inmunidad protectora a largo plazo. Numerosos estudios han demostrado la circulación de BRSV en bovinos de diferentes regiones del mundo, sin embargo, poco se conoce acerca de la dinámica de infección en vacas antes y después del inicio de la fase de lactancia. El objetivo de este trabajo fue estudiar la dinámica de anticuerpos neutralizantes anti- BRSV en vacas lecheras desde el nacimiento hasta los 36 meses de vida en un tambo cerrado de Argentina, específicamente, en el período de lactancia. Los anticuerpos pasivos específicos para BRSV comenzaron a declinar mensualmente hasta ser casi indetectables a los 6 meses. Detectamos dos potenciales puntos de infección a los meses 11 y 27 luego del nacimiento, momentos en los que el 30 y el 45% de los animales mostraron seroconversión, respectivamente. El incremento en la proporción de vacas seropositivas luego del comienzo de la lactancia sugiere que estas se reinfectaron en el inicio de dicha etapa. Demostramos la importancia de entender la dinámica de circulación del BRSV en un tambo cerrado, a fin de revisar el esquema de vacunación de los animales para que estén protegidos frente a la posible infección por este virus.

Bovine respiratory syncytial virus seroprevalence and risk factors in feedlot cattle from Córdoba and Santa Fe, Argentina.

Bovine respiratory syncytial virus (BRSV) is one of the causative agents of respiratory disease in cattle all over the world, leading to important economic losses. The aim of this work was to determine the seroprevalence of BRSV in feedlot cattle of Argentina and the risk factors associated with the disease. Results showed a high individual seroprevalence of 78.64% (95% confidence interval adjusted [CI]=66.55-90.75%) against the virus. Positive association was found between the presence of high BRSV neutralizing antibody titers, and the following risk factors: cattle age, source of animals, presence of clinical respiratory signs and herd size. This work contributes to updating the understanding of its epidemiology in Argentinean feedlots and poses the need for reevaluating vaccination strategies against this virus in order to control infection and its impact on productivity.

Transient gene expression in serum-free suspension-growing mammalian cells for the production of foot-and-mouth disease virus empty capsids.

Foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) is a highly contagious disease of cloven-hoofed animals. It produces severe economic losses in the livestock industry. Currently available vaccines are based on inactivated FMD virus (FMDV). The use of empty capsids as a subunit vaccine has been reported to be a promising candidate because it avoids the use of virus in the vaccine production and conserves the conformational epitopes of the virus. In this report, we explored transient gene expression (TGE) in serum-free suspension-growing mammalian cells for the production of FMDV recombinant empty capsids as a subunit vaccine. The recombinant proteins produced, assembled into empty capsids and induced protective immune response against viral challenge in mice. Furthermore, they were recognized by anti-FMDV bovine sera. By using this technology, we were able to achieve expression levels that are compatible with the development of a vaccine. Thus, TGE of mammalian cells is an easy to perform, scalable and cost-effective technology for the production of a recombinant subunit vaccine against FMDV.