Necrotizing meningoencephalitis in cattle associated to Bovine Herpesvirus-5 in Pernambuco - Brazil / Meningoencefalite necrosante em bovinos associada ao herpesvírus bovino-5 em Pernambuco - Brasil

ABSTRACT

Background: Bovine Herpesvirus-5 (BoHV-5) is the most important cause of encephalopathy in cattle in Brazil. Necrotizing meningoencephalitis is an acute or subacute infectious disease that has low morbidity, higher fatal outcome and affects animals of all age groups, but especially young cattle under stress situations. The disease may occur like outbreaks or affect cattle alone. The mortality and morbidity varies from 75-100% and 0.05 to 22% respectively. This study aims to report the occurrence of two outbreaks of meningoencephalitis caused by bovine herpesvirus-5 diagnosed in the state of Pernambuco in the years 2011-2012. Cases The epidemiological data and clinical signs were obtained with the veterinarians of two properties where the outbreaks occurred. Necropsies in two cattle were performed and samples of brain, spinal cord and tissues fragments from thoracic and abdominal cavities were collected. The material fixed in 10% buffered formalin was processed routinely for histopathological examination. After fixation of the brain, fragments of cerebral cortex, basal ganglia, thalamus, midbrain, cerebellar peduncles, cerebellum, bridge, medulla oblongata and cervical spinal cord were immunohistochemically processed for rabies. CNS samples were subjected to the technique of PCR for detection of BoHV-5. In affected cattle, the main clinical signs consisted of circling...