Use of a polymerase chain reaction assay to detect bovine herpesvirus type 2 DNA in skin lesions from cattle suspected to have pseudo-lumpy skin disease.
Beef cattle from a herd in north Alabama were examined because of an outbreak of nonfatal skin disease characterized by discrete circumscribed areas of inflammation that developed on the skin from the neck to the hips. Areas of inflammation, which tended to be superficial, underwent necrosis and scabbed over. The scabs eventually dropped off leaving discrete, round, whitish, hairless lesions that were 1.2 to 2.5 cm diameter. Because clinical signs were consistent with those expected with pseudo-lumpy skin disease (PLSD) caused by bovine herpesvirus type 2 (BHV-2), samples from 16 representative animals were submitted for BHV-2 testing. All 16 animals were seropositive for BHV-2, but the virus could not be isolated from skin biopsy specimens or buffy coat samples. Results of a polymerase chain reaction assay incorporating primers designed to amplify 2 DNA sequences from BHV-2 were positive for 3 of the 10 cattle, suggesting that skin lesions in these cattle were a result of PLSD. Our findings suggest that PLSD may be more common and widespread in the United States than suggested by the frequency with which BHV-2 has been isolated from cattle with PLSD-like skin lesions.
d'Offay
Jean M
JM
Department of Veterinary Pathobiology, College of Veterinary Medicine, Oklahoma State University, Stillwater, OK 74078, USA.
Floyd
James G
JG
Eberle
Richard
R
Saliki
Jerry T
JT
Brock
Kenny V
KV
D'Andrea
George H
GH
McMillan
Kenneth L
KL
D000407:Alabama / Q000453:epidemiology; D000818:Animals; D001483:Base Sequence; D002417:Cattle; D002418:Cattle Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000453:epidemiology; D004279:DNA, Viral / Q000032:analysis*; D004196:Disease Outbreaks / Q000662:veterinary; D005260:Female; D006561:Herpes Simplex / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000662:veterinary*; D001911:Herpesvirus 2, Bovine / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D008166:Lumpy Skin Disease / Q000175:diagnosis; D008297:Male; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction / Q000379:methods / Q000662:veterinary*; D012867:Skin / Q000473:pathology
D004279:DNA, Viral