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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 #298027
Title: Detection of a Hobi-like virus in archival samples suggests circulation of this emerging pestivirus species in Europe prior to 2007

Author
item DECARO, NICOLA - University Of Bari
item MARI, VIVIANA - University Of Bari
item LUCENTE, MARIA - University Of Bari
item SCIARRETTA, ROSSANA - University Of Bari
item ELIA, GABRIELLA - University Of Bari
item Ridpath, Julia
item BUONAVOGLIA, CANIA - University Of Bari

Submitted to: Veterinary Microbiology
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 9/5/2013
Publication Date: 12/27/2013
Citation: Decaro, N., Mari, V., Lucente, M.S., Sciarretta, R., Elia, G., Ridpath, J.F., Buonavoglia, C. 2013. Detection of a Hobi-like virus in archival samples suggests circulation of this emerging pestivirus species in Europe prior to 2007. Veterinary Microbiology. 167(3-4):307-313.

Interpretive Summary: The group of viruses known as the pestivirus genus, includes viruses, such as classical swine fever virus (CSFV) and bovine viral diarrhea virus (BVDV) that are of economical importance to agriculture worldwide. Recently a new type of pestivirus has been identified that causes reproductive and respiratory disease in cattle. Referred to as HoBi-like viruses, these viruses were first detected in animals products and samples originating in South America. Subsequently they were detected in cattle in Southeast Asia and later in cattle in Europe. The first published reports of HoBi like virus in European cattle identified these viruses as the causative agent in an outbreak respiratory disease that occurred in 2010. The current report details the detection of HoBi like viruses in archived samples sent to a diagnostic laboratory in Italy. These samples dated to 2007 indicating that HoBi like viruses

Technical Abstract: The first reported incidence of Hobi-like viruses in Europe dates to a 2010 outbreak of respiratory disease in cattle in Italy. In this study, a Hobi-like virus was detected in archival samples, collected in 2007 in Italy from a cattle herd displaying respiratory disease, during the validation of a nested PCR protocol for rapid characterisation of bovine pestiviruses. Phylogeny conducted with full-length pestivirus genomes and three informative genomic sequences, placed the strain detected in the samples, Italy-129/07, into the HoBi-like virus branch. Italy-129/07, similar to other HoBi-like viruses isolated in Italy, was more closely related to viruses of South American origin, than HoBi-like viruses of Southeast Asian origin. This suggests a possible introduction of this emerging group of pestiviruses into Italy as a consequence of using contaminated biological products such as foetal bovine serum originating in South America. This report of a Hobi-like virus associated with respiratory disease along with the full-genomic characterization of the virus detected provides new data that contributes to the body of knowledge regarding the epidemiology, pathobiology and genetic diversity of this emerging group of pestiviruses. Importantly, it dates the circulation of Hobi-like viruses in Italy to 2007, at least three years before previous reports.