Serological survey of herpesvirus infections in wild ruminants of France and Belgium.
The presence of antibodies against bovine herpesvirus 1 (BHV-1), bovid herpesvirus 6 (BHV-6), herpesvirus of Cervidae type 1 (HVC-1), reindeer herpesvirus, bovine herpesvirus 2 (BHV-2) and bovid herpesvirus 4 (BHV-4) was investigated in wild ruminants of France and Belgium between 1981 and 1986. There were no animals serologically positive for BHV-4. Antibodies against BHV-2 were demonstrated in roe deer (Cervus capreolus) (less than 1%) and chamois (Rupicapra rupicapra) (1%) in France. Animals seropositive to the four related viruses (BHV-1, BHV-6, HVC-1, reindeer herpesvirus) were detected in red deer (Cervus elaphus) in France and Belgium (1% and 11%, respectively), in roe deer (less than 1%) from France, in chamois (4%) in France and in ibex (Capra ibex) (4%) from France. The presence of antibodies against HVC-1, especially in red deer from Belgium, may suggest that wild ruminants in continental Europe are now infected with this virus, which previously has been isolated only in Scotland.
Thiry
E
E
Department of Virology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Leège, Brussels, Belgium.
Vercouter
M
M
Dubuisson
J
J
Barrat
J
J
Sepulchre
C
C
Gerardy
C
C
Meersschaert
C
C
Collin
B
B
Blancou
J
J
Pastoret
P P
PP
D000818:Animals; D000835:Animals, Wild / Q000276:immunology; D000914:Antibodies, Viral / Q000032:analysis*; D001530:Belgium; D003670:Deer / Q000276:immunology*; D005455:Fluorescent Antibody Technique / Q000662:veterinary; D005602:France; D006564:Herpesviridae / Q000276:immunology; D006566:Herpesviridae Infections / Q000276:immunology / Q000662:veterinary*; D007242:Herpesvirus 1, Bovine / Q000276:immunology; D001911:Herpesvirus 2, Bovine / Q000276:immunology; D009500:Neutralization Tests / Q000662:veterinary; D012418:Ruminants / Q000276:immunology*
D000914:Antibodies, Viral