Skip to main content
PMC home page
The Canadian Veterinary Journal logoLink to The Canadian Veterinary Journal
. 1997 Jan;38(1):29–37.

Performance, survival, necropsy, and virological findings from calves persistently infected with the bovine viral diarrhea virus originating from a single Saskatchewan beef herd.

L F Taylor 1, E D Janzen 1, J A Ellis 1, J V van den Hurk 1, P Ward 1
PMCID: PMC1576666  PMID: 8993782

Abstract

Fifty-one calves from 652 cows and heifers that calved on a Saskatchewan ranch in 1992 were identified as persistently infected with bovine viral diarrhea virus (BVDV), based on virological and necropsy findings. Herd records suggested a further 20 calves that died between birth and weaning were probably also persistently infected. Subsequent to weaning, all surviving persistently infected calves were transferred to one pen in a 10,000 head commercial feedlot, to mimic normal management practice in western Canadian beef herds. On average, when compared with healthy, BVDV-negative herdmates, persistently infected calves were "poor doers" and had poor survivability, with only 4 persistently infected calves surviving to 1 year of age. There was no difference (P > 0.05) in survival between male and female persistently infected calves. The clinical, pathological, and virological findings from these persistently infected calves varied over time. The majority of persistently infected calves had gross pathological lesions at necropsy, consistent with mucosal disease. However, approximately 25% of the persistently infected calves had gross pneumonic lesions at necropsy, with no or only mild lesions of mucosal disease. A wide variety of other lesions were also noted in persistently infected calves at necropsy. Therefore, the possibility that BVDV-induced lesions can be misdiagnosed is very real. The results of this study indicate that persistent infection with BVDV should always be considered in calves with chronic ill thrift, chronic enteritis, or respiratory disease.

Full text

PDF
29

Images in this article

32Figure 3.
on p.32

Selected References

These references are in PubMed. This may not be the complete list of references from this article.

  1. Bezek D. M., Mechor G. D. Identification and eradication of bovine viral diarrhea virus in a persistently infected dairy herd. J Am Vet Med Assoc. 1992 Aug 15;201(4):580–586. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  2. Bolin S. R., Ridpath J. F. Differences in virulence between two noncytopathic bovine viral diarrhea viruses in calves. Am J Vet Res. 1992 Nov;53(11):2157–2163. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  3. Brownlie J. The pathways for bovine virus diarrhoea virus biotypes in the pathogenesis of disease. Arch Virol Suppl. 1991;3:79–96. doi: 10.1007/978-3-7091-9153-8_10. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  4. Corapi W. V., Elliott R. D., French T. W., Arthur D. G., Bezek D. M., Dubovi E. J. Thrombocytopenia and hemorrhages in veal calves infected with bovine viral diarrhea virus. J Am Vet Med Assoc. 1990 Feb 15;196(4):590–596. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  5. Dubovi E. J. Genetic diversity and BVD virus. Comp Immunol Microbiol Infect Dis. 1992 Jul;15(3):155–162. doi: 10.1016/0147-9571(92)90088-9. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  6. Durham P. J., Hassard L. E. Prevalence of antibodies to infectious bovine rhinotracheitis, parainfluenza 3, bovine respiratory syncytial, and bovine viral diarrhea viruses in cattle in Saskatchewan and Alberta. Can Vet J. 1990 Dec;31(12):815–820. [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  7. Edwards S. The diagnosis of bovine virus diarrhoea-mucosal disease in cattle. Rev Sci Tech. 1990 Mar;9(1):115–130. doi: 10.20506/rst.9.1.486. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  8. Haines D. M., Clark E. G., Dubovi E. J. Monoclonal antibody-based immunohistochemical detection of bovine viral diarrhea virus in formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded tissues. Vet Pathol. 1992 Jan;29(1):27–32. doi: 10.1177/030098589202900104. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  9. Houe H., Heron I. Immune response to other agents of calves persistently infected with bovine virus diarrhoea virus (BVDV). Acta Vet Scand. 1993;34(3):305–310. doi: 10.1186/BF03548195. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  10. Howard T. H., Bean B., Hillman R., Monke D. R. Surveillance for persistent bovine viral diarrhea virus infection in four artificial insemination centers. J Am Vet Med Assoc. 1990 Jun 15;196(12):1951–1955. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  11. Kelling C. L., Stine L. C., Rump K. K., Parker R. E., Kennedy J. E., Stone R. T., Ross G. S. Investigation of bovine viral diarrhea virus infections in a range beef cattle herd. J Am Vet Med Assoc. 1990 Sep 1;197(5):589–593. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  12. Littlejohns I. R., Horner G. W. Incidence, epidemiology and control of bovine pestivirus infections and disease in Australia and New Zealand. Rev Sci Tech. 1990 Mar;9(1):195–205. doi: 10.20506/rst.9.1.480. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  13. Moennig V., Greiser-Wilke I., Frey H. R., Haas L., Liebler E., Pohlenz J., Liess B. Prolonged persistence of cytopathogenic bovine viral diarrhea virus (BVDV) in a persistently viremic cattle. Zentralbl Veterinarmed B. 1993 Jul;40(5):371–377. doi: 10.1111/j.1439-0450.1993.tb00152.x. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  14. Moerman A., Straver P. J., de Jong M. C., Quak J., Baanvinger T., van Oirschot J. T. A long term epidemiological study of bovine viral diarrhoea infections in a large herd of dairy cattle. Vet Rec. 1993 Jun 19;132(25):622–626. doi: 10.1136/vr.132.25.622. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  15. Radostits O. M., Littlejohns I. R. New concepts in the pathogenesis, diagnosis and control of diseases caused by the bovine viral diarrhea virus. Can Vet J. 1988 Jun;29(6):513–528. [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  16. Ridpath J. F., Bolin S. R., Dubovi E. J. Segregation of bovine viral diarrhea virus into genotypes. Virology. 1994 Nov 15;205(1):66–74. doi: 10.1006/viro.1994.1620. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  17. Taylor L. F., Van Donkersgoed J., Radostits O. M., Booker C. W., Dubovi E. J., van den Hurk J. V., Janzen E. D. Investigation of an outbreak of mucosal disease in a beef cattle herd in southwestern Saskatchewan. Can Vet J. 1994 Jul;35(7):425–432. [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  18. Ward P., Misra V. Detection of bovine viral diarrhea virus, using degenerate oligonucleotide primers and the polymerase chain reaction. Am J Vet Res. 1991 Aug;52(8):1231–1236. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]

Articles from The Canadian Veterinary Journal are provided here courtesy of Canadian Veterinary Medical Association

RESOURCES