Skip to main content
NCBI home page
Elsevier - PMC COVID-19 Collection logoLink to Elsevier - PMC COVID-19 Collection
. 2002 Nov 13;22(2):187–201. doi: 10.1016/0378-1135(90)90106-6

A longitudinal study of bovine coronavirus enteric and respiratory infections in dairy calves in two herds in Ohio☆

RA Heckert 1, LJ Saif 1, KH Hoblet 1, AG Agnes 1
PMCID: PMC7117264  PMID: 2162099

Abstract

This prospective longitudinal study examined the epidemiology and disease syndrome associated with bovine coronavirus (BCV) infections in a cohort of 8 conventional calves from 0 to 120 days of age, in two dairy herds in Ohio. The periods of respiratory shedding of BCV were determined by direct immunofluorescent (DIF) staining of nasal epithelial cells and ELISA of nasal swab supernatant fluids. The periods of fecal shedding of BCV were determined by ELISA and immunoelectron microscopy (IEM). The isotype-specific antibody titers to BCV in serum (at selected intervals between 0 and 120 days of age) and the post-suckling (24 to 48 h after birth) total immunoglobulin levels were examined by ELISA and zinc sulfate turbidity tests, respectively.

Of the 8 calves studied, 4 had evidence of BCV respiratory (by DIF or ELISA) or enteric infections (by IEM or ELISA) in association with diarrhea or rhinitis, even though 7 or 8 calves showed increases in one or more serum antibody isotypes to BCV and 6 of 8 calves showed BCV respiratory or enteric antigen shedding by ELISA. Serological antibody titer increases occurred in 3 calves before 30 days of age and in 4 calves after 30 days of age; two of the latter calves had a second rise in serum antibody titers to BCV after the initial rise. A serological antibody titer increase was not observed in one calf. This suggests that BCV infections may be very common in a closed herd and may occur in older calves, although many may be subclinical and some may be recurrent.

There were no statistically significant correlations between total serum immunoglobulin levels or BCV antibody isotype titers in serum (24–48 h after birth) and clinical disease or infection by BCV; however, calves with low levels of IgA BCV antibodies in serum (24–48 h after birth) had a significantly greater average number of days with diarrhea than those calves having high levels of IgA BCV-specific antibodies in serum.

Footnotes

☆

This work was supported in part by a research grant from the USDA Special Grants Program (#85-CSRS-2-2689), USDA Science and Education Administration. Salaries and research support were provided also by state and federal funds appropriated to the Ohio Agricultural Research and Development Center, The Ohio State University. Journal article No. 109-89.

References

  1. Barber D.M. Serum immune globulin status of purchased calves: An unreliable guide to viability and performance. Vet. Rec. 1978;102:418–420. doi: 10.1136/vr.102.19.418. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  2. Boyd J.W., Leyland A. Neonatal diarrhoea in calves. Vet. Rec. 1974;95:310–313. doi: 10.1136/vr.95.14.310. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  3. Caldow G.L., White D.G., Kelsey M., Peters A.R., Solly K.J. Relationship of calf antibody status to disease and performance. Vet. Rec. 1988;122:63–65. doi: 10.1136/vr.122.3.63. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  4. Colton T. Little, Brown and Company; Boston, MA: 1974. Statistics in medicine; pp. 223–224. [Google Scholar]
  5. Crouch C.F., Bielefeldt Ohmann H., Watts T.C., Babiuk L.A. Chronic shedding of bovine enteric coronavirus antigen-antibody complexes by clinically normal cows. J. Gen. Virol. 1985;66:1489–1500. doi: 10.1099/0022-1317-66-7-1489. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  6. Davidson J.N., Yancey S.P., Campbell S.G., Warner R.G. Relationship between serum immunoglobulin values and the incidence of respiratory disease in calves. J. Am. Vet. Med. Assoc. 1981;179:708–710. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  7. Ellens D.J., de Leeuw P., Straver P.J. Recurrent rotavirus and coronavirus infections in cattle. INSERM. 1979;90:355–360. [Google Scholar]
  8. Fisher E.W., Martinez A.A. The relationship between the zinc sulphate turbidity test, serum immune globulins and the susceptibility of calves to diarrhoea. Br. Vet. J. 1978;134:231–233. doi: 10.1016/s0007-1935(17)33488-7. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  9. Hancock D.D. Assessing efficiency of passive immune transfer in dairy herds. J. Dairy Sci. 1985;68:163–183. doi: 10.3168/jds.S0022-0302(85)80811-0. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  10. Heckert R.A., Saif L.J., Tarek M.M., Myers G.W. Epidemiology of respiratory bovine coronavirus infections detected by nasal cell immunofluorescence. Proc. 69th Annu. Meet. Conf. Res. Workers Anim. Dis.; 14–15 November, Chicago, IL; 1988. p. 70. Abstract No. 391. [Google Scholar]
  11. Heckert R.A., Saif L.J., Myers G.W. Development of protein A-gold immunoelectron microscopy for detection of bovine coronavirus in calves: Comparison with ELISA and direct immunofluorescence of nasal epithelial cells. Vet. Microbiol. 1989;19:217–231. doi: 10.1016/0378-1135(89)90068-0. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  12. Hooper B.E., Haelterman E.O. Concepts of pathogenesis and passive immunity in transmissible gastroenteritis of swine. J. Am. Vet. Med. Assoc. 1966;149:1580–1586. [Google Scholar]
  13. Kimman T.G., Westerbrink F., Schreuder B.E., Straver P.J. Local and systemic antibody response to bovine respiratory syncytial virus infection and reinfection in calves with and without maternal antibodies. J. Clin. Microbiol. 1987;25:1097–1106. doi: 10.1128/jcm.25.6.1097-1106.1987. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  14. Langpap T.J., Bergeland J.E., Reed D.E. Coronaviral enteritis of young calves: Virologic and pathologic findings in naturally occurring infections. Am. J. Vet. Res. 1979;40:1476–1478. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  15. Marshall R.G., Frank G.H. Clinical and immunologic responses of calves with colostrally acquired maternal antibody against Parainfluenza-3 virus to homologous viral infection. Am. J. Vet. Res. 1975;36:1085–1090. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  16. McEwan A.D., Fisher E.W., Selman I.E., Penhale W.J. A turbidity test for the estimation of immune globulin levels in neonatal calf serum. Clin. Chim. Acta. 1970;27:155–163. doi: 10.1016/0009-8981(70)90390-6. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  17. McEwan A.D., Fisher E.W., Selman I.E. Observations on the immune globulin levels of neonatal calves and their relationship to disease. J. Comp. Pathol. 1970;80:259–265. doi: 10.1016/0021-9975(70)90093-9. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  18. McNulty M.S., Bryson D.G., Allan G.M., Logan E.F. Coronavirus infection of the bovine respiratory tract. Vet. Microbiol. 1984;9:425–434. doi: 10.1016/0378-1135(84)90063-4. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  19. Mebus C.A., Stair E.L., Rhodes M.B., Twiehaus M.J. Neonatal calf diarrhoea: Propagation, attenuation, and characteristics of a coronavirus-like agent. Am. J. Vet. Res. 1973;34:145–150. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  20. Reynolds D.J., Debney T.G., Hall G.A., Thomas L.H., Parsons K.R. Studies on the relationship between coronaviruses from the intestinal and respiratory tracts of calves. Arch. Virol. 1985;85:71–83. doi: 10.1007/BF01317007. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  21. Reynolds D.J., Morgan J.H., Chanter N., Jones P.W., Bridger J.C., Debney T.G., Bunch K.J. Microbiology of calf diarrhoea in southern Britain. Vet. Rec. 1986;119:34–39. doi: 10.1136/vr.119.2.34. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  22. Saif L.J. Development of nasal, fecal and serum isotype-specific antibodies in calves challenged with bovine coronavirus or rotavirus. Vet. Immunol. Immunpath. 1987;17:425–439. doi: 10.1016/0165-2427(87)90159-0. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  23. Saif L.J., Smith K.L. Enteric viral infections of calves and passive immunity. J. Dairy Sci. 1985;68:206–228. doi: 10.3168/jds.S0022-0302(85)80813-4. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  24. Saif L.J., Bohl E.H., Kohler E.M., Hughes J. Immune electron microscopy of TGE virus and rotavirus (reovirus-like agent) of swine. Am. J. Vet. Res. 1977;38:13–20. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  25. Saif L.J., Redman D.R., Smith K.L., Theil K.W. Passive immunity to bovine rota-virus in newborn calves fed colostrum supplements from immunized or nonimmunized cows. Infect. Immun. 1983;41:1118–1131. doi: 10.1128/iai.41.3.1118-1131.1983. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  26. Saif L.J., Smith K.L., Landmeier B.J., Bohl E.H., Theil K.W., Todhunter D.A. Immune response of pregnant cows to bovine rotavirus immunization. Am. J. Vet. Res. 1984;45:49–50. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  27. Saif L.J., Redman D.R., Morehead P.D., Theil K.W. Experimental coronavirus infections in calves: Viral replication in the respiratory and intestinal tracts. Am. J. Vet. Res. 1986;47:1426–1432. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  28. Saif L.J., Weilnau P., Miller K., Stitzlein L. Isotypes of intestinal ans systemic antibodies in colostrum-fed and colostrum-deprived calves challenged with rotavirus. In: Mestecky J., McGhee J.R., Bienenstock J., Orga P.L., editors. Recent Advances in Mucosal Immunology, Part B. Plenum Press; New York, NY: 1987. pp. 1815–1823. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  29. Sharpee R.L., Mebus C.A., Bass E.P. Characterization of calf diarrheal coronavirus. Am. J. Vet. Res. 1976;37:1031–1041. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  30. Singh D.K., Singh N.P., Singh G.K. Pneumoenteric syndrome in bovine neonates by bovine coronavirus. Indian J. Vet. Med. 1985;5:55–57. [Google Scholar]
  31. Thornton J.R., Willoughy R.A., McSherry B.J. Studies on diarrhea in neonatal calves: The plasma proteins of normal and diarrheic calves during the first ten days of age. Can. J. Comp. Med. 1972;36:17–25. [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  32. Thomas L.H. The role of antibody in relation to pneumonia in calves. Vet. Annu. 1978;18:73–79. [Google Scholar]
  33. Thomas L.H., Swann R.G. Influence of colostrum on the incidence of calf pneumonia. Vet. Rec. 1973;92:454–455. doi: 10.1136/vr.92.17.454. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  34. Van Zaane D., IJzerman J., de Leeuw P.W. Intestinal antibody response after vaccination and infection with rotavirus of calves fed colostrum with or without rotavirus antibody. Vet. Immunol. Immunopathol. 1986;11:45–63. doi: 10.1016/0165-2427(86)90087-5. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  35. Williams M.R., Spooner R.L., Thomas L.H. Quantitative studies on bovine immunoglobulins. Vet. Rec. 1975;96:81–84. doi: 10.1136/vr.96.4.81. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]

Articles from Veterinary Microbiology are provided here courtesy of Elsevier

RESOURCES