Abstract
Serological evidence of exposure of reindeer (Rangifer tarandus) to a virus related to bovine herpesvirus 1 (BHV1) (Synonym: Infectious bovine rhinotracheitis (IBR) virus) has been reported in Canada (El Azhary 1979) and the USA (Dieterich 1981). A serological survey conducted in Finnish Lapland also detected neutralising antibodies to BHV1 in reindeer sera; 23 % of 300 reindeer had detectable antibodies, whereas none of 300 cattle sera from the same region contained antibodies to BHV1 (Ek-Kommonen et al. 1982). There is currently no evidence of BHV1 infection of cattle in Finland, so the isolation and characterisation of the reindeer herpesvirus was of considerable interest. This short communication describes the isolation and preliminary characterisation of a herpesvirus from a reindeer following the administration of dexamethasone.
Full Text
The Full Text of this article is available as a PDF (383.3 KB).
Acknowledgment
We thank Dr. Erkki Neuronen for helping to initiate our collaboration on this work.
References
- Brake F, Studdert M J. Molecular epidemiology and pathogenesis of ruminant herpesviruses including bovine, buffalo and caprine herpesviruses 1 and bovine encephalitis herpesvirus. Aust. vet. J. 1985;62:331–334. doi: 10.1111/j.1751-0813.1985.tb07652.x. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Dieterich, R.: In: Alaskan Wildlife Disease. Ed. R. A. Dieterich, University of Alaska, Fairbanks, Alaska, USA 1981, p. 28.
- Ek-Kommonen C, Veijalainen P, Rantala M, Neuuonen E. Neutralizing antibodies to bovine herpes virus 1 in reindeer. Acta vet. scand. 1982;23:565–569. doi: 10.1186/BF03546775. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- El Azhary S. Serological evidence of IBR and BVD infection in caribou (Rangifer tarandus) Vet. Rec. 1979;105:336. doi: 10.1136/vr.105.14.336. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Inglis D M, Bowie J M, Allan M J, Nettleton P F. Ocular disease in red deer calves associated with a herpesvirus infection. Vet. Rec. 1983;113:182–183. doi: 10.1136/vr.113.8.182. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Plowright, W.: In: Infectious Diseases of Wild Mammals. 2dn Edition. Ed. J. W. Davis, L. H. Karstad & D. O. Trainer, Iowa State University Press, Ames, Iowa, USA 1981, p. 138.
- Reid H W, Nettleton P F, Pow I, Sinclair J A. Experimental infection of red deer (Cervus elaphus) and cattle with a herpesvirus isolated from red deer. Vet. Rec. 1986;118:156. doi: 10.1136/vr.119.6.156. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]