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ARS Home » Midwest Area » Ames, Iowa » National Animal Disease Center » Ruminant Diseases and Immunology Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #305944
Title: Generation of calves persistently infected with HoBi-like pestivirus and comparison of methods for detection of these persistent infections

Author
item BAUERMANN, FERNANDO - Federal University - Brazil
item FALKENBERG, SHOLLIE - Elanco Animal Health, Inc
item VANDER LEY, BRIAN - University Of Missouri
item DECARO, NICOLA - University Of Bari
item BRODERSEN, BRUCE - University Of Nebraska
item HARMON, AARON - Novartis
item HESSMAN, BILL - Haskell County Animal Hospital
item FLORES, EDUARDO - Federal University - Brazil
item Ridpath, Julia

Submitted to: Journal of Clinical Microbiology
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 8/21/2014
Publication Date: 11/1/2014
Publication URL: http://handle.nal.usda.gov/10113/61200
Citation: Bauermann, F.V., Falkenberg, S.M., Vander Ley, B.D., Decaro, N., Brodersen, B.W., Harmon, A., Hessman, B., Flores, E.F., Ridpath, J.F. 2014. Generation of calves persistently infected with HoBi-like pestivirus and comparison of methods for detection of these persistent infections. Journal of Clinical Microbiology. 52(11):3845-3852. DOI: 10.1128/JCM.01563-14.

Interpretive Summary: Bovine viral diarrhea virus (BVDV) infection in cattle leads to major economic impact to the cattle industry worldwide. The clinical presentation of an emerging pestivirus group known as HoBi-like viruses or atypical pestiviruses is indistinguishable from BVDV infection in cattle. There is no indication of the virus presence in United States, yet the virus is reported in South America, Europe and Southeast Asia. A calf born from an animal infected by pestiviruses during gestation can be persistently infected (PI) with the virus, and its identification is focus of pestivirus control and eradication. In this study, PI calves with HoBi-like viruses were generated and different assays were used to identify these persistent infections. This information is will be used to verify the success rate diagnostic assays, identify possible diagnostic gaps and develop guidelines to prevent introduction and/or dissemination of the virus in non-endemic regions.

Technical Abstract: Identification and elimination of persistently infected (PI) cattle are the most effective measures for controlling bovine pestiviruses, including bovine viral diarrhea virus (BVDV) and the emerging HoBi-like viruses. Here, colostrum deprived HoBi-like PI calves have been generated and sampled (serum, buffy coat, ear notches) at day of birth and weekly for 5 consecutive weeks. Samples were assayed by diagnostic tests for BVDV: two reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR); two commercial real-time RT-PCR (qRT-PCR); two antigen capture enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ACE) and immunohistochemistry (IHC) and by HoBi-virus specific RT-PCR and qRT-PCR. The rate of false negatives varied from calf to calf. The HoBi-like specific RT-PCR detected 83%, 75% and 88% of serum, buffy coat and ear notch samples, respectively, while the HoBi-like qRT-PCR respectively detected 83%, 96% and 62%. In comparison with the BVDV RT-PCR test had a higher rate of false negative in all tissues, especially for ear notches (missing at least 68% of samples). The commercial BVDV qRT-PCRs and IHC detected 100% of ear notches. While ACE based on the BVDV glycoprotein Erns detected at least 87% of ear notches, no samples were detected using NS3 based ACE. The BVDV qRT-PCR, ACE, and the IHC tests yielded higher levels of detection compared to HoBi-like specific assays, although the lack of differentiation between BVDV and HoBi-like viruses would make these tests of limited use in a HoBi-like PI control and/or surveillance. Further research is needed to refine and improve tests before a reliable HoBi-like PI surveillance program can be designed.