Detection of bovine herpesvirus 4 (BoHV-4) DNA in the cell fraction of milk of dairy cattle with history of BoHV-4 infection.
We have demonstrated, by PCR and restriction enzyme analysis of the PCR product, the presence of bovine herpesvirus 4 (BoHV-4) DNA in the cell fraction of milk from dairy cattle with a history of BoHV-4 infection. We next evaluated the infectious nature of BoHV-4 DNA in those cells. Cocultivation of a BoHV-4-sensitive cell line with BoHV-4 DNA-positive milk cell samples produced cytopathic effects. The same result was obtained from frozen and thawed milk cell fraction coming from the cell milk fraction PCR-positive cows, ensuring that cells were killed and only infectious virus could be recovered after cocultivation with sensitive cells. This report shows that infectious BoHV-4 can be present in milk cells and that therefore nursing may be one of the transmission routes of BoHV-4.
Donofrio
G
G
Istituto di Malattie Infettive Profilassi e Polizia Veterinaria, Facoltà di Medicina Veterinaria, Università di Parma, 43100 Parma, Italy. donofrio@unipr.it
Flammini
C F
CF
Scatozza
F
F
Cavirani
S
S
D000818:Animals; D018141:Betaherpesvirinae / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D002417:Cattle; D002418:Cattle Diseases / Q000821:virology*; D002460:Cell Line; D004279:DNA, Viral / Q000032:analysis*; D005260:Female; D006566:Herpesviridae Infections / Q000662:veterinary*; D008892:Milk / Q000821:virology*
D004279:DNA, Viral