title: Cidofovir is effective against caprine herpesvirus 1 infection in goats.
abstract: Caprine herpesvirus 1 (CpHV-1) is a virus able to cause genital infection leading to vulvovaginitis or balanoposthitis in adult goats. CpHV-1 shares several biological similarities with herpes simplex type 2 (HSV-2) infection in man, such as genital tropism, type and site of typical lesions and it might provide an animal model for studies on antiviral drugs for HSV-2 infection in man. In this view the efficacy of cidofovir (CDV) drug was tested in six goats intravaginally infected with BA.1 strain of CpHV-1. Three goats received an intravaginal application of 3 ml of a 1% CDV preparation at 4h post infection and then every 12 h for five consecutive days. Three goats were kept as untreated controls. The goats were daily examined for clinical evidence of the infection and viral shedding. CDV was able to protect against disease progression and inhibited the onset of the local lesions due to the CpHV-1 replication. Treated animals shed virus for a shorter period (3 days less) and at lower titres than the control animals. CpHV-1 infection in goats may represent an excellent animal model for the study of novel strategies for the treatment of primary genital HSV-2 infection in man.
authors.affiliation: Department of Animal Health and Well-being, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Università di Bari Strada Prov. Casamassima km.3, 70010 Valenzano, BA, Italy. m.tempesta@veterinaria.uniba.it
authors.forename: Maria
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Tempesta
authors.forename: Michele
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Camero
authors.forename: Anna Lucia
authors.initials: AL
authors.lastname: Bellacicco
authors.forename: Julien
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Thiry
authors.forename: Giuseppe
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Crescenzo
authors.forename: Johan
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Neyts
authors.forename: Etienne
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Thiry
authors.forename: Canio
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Buonavoglia
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000077404:Cidofovir; D003596:Cytosine / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000031:analogs & derivatives* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D006041:Goats; D006566:Herpesviridae Infections / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000821:virology; D063065:Organophosphonates / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D018140:Varicellovirus / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000302:isolation & purification; D017201:Virus Shedding / Q000187:drug effects
chemical_list: D063065:Organophosphonates; D003596:Cytosine; D000077404:Cidofovir