title: Respiratory disease associated with bovine coronavirus infection in cattle herds in Southern Italy.
abstract: Four outbreaks of bovine respiratory disease (BRD) associated with bovine coronavirus (BCoV) infection in Italian cattle herds were reported. In 3 outbreaks, BRD was observed only in 2-3-month-old feedlot calves, whereas in the remaining outbreak, lactating cows, heifers, and calves were simultaneously affected. By using reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR), BCoV RNA was detected in all outbreaks without evidence of concurrent viral pathogens (i.e., bovine respiratory syncytial virus, bovine herpesvirus type 1, bovine viral diarrhea virus, bovine parainfluenza virus). Common bacteria of cattle were recovered only from 2 outbreaks of BRD: Staphylococcus spp. and Proteus mirabilis (outbreak 1) and Mannheimia haemolytica (outbreak 4). A recently established real-time RT-PCR assay showed that viral RNA loads in nasal secretions ranged between 3.10 x 10(2) and 7.50 x 10(7) RNA copies/microl of template. Bovine coronavirus was isolated from respiratory specimens from all outbreaks except outbreak 1, in which real-time RT-PCR found very low viral titers in nasal swabs.
authors.affiliation: Department of Animal Health and Well-being, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine of Bari, S.p. per Casamassima km 3, 70010 Valenzano, Bari, Italy. n.decaro@veterinaria.uniba.it
authors.forename: Nicola
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Decaro
authors.forename: Marco
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Campolo
authors.forename: Costantina
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Desario
authors.forename: Francesco
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Cirone
authors.forename: Maria
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: D'Abramo
authors.forename: Eleonora
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Lorusso
authors.forename: Grazia
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Greco
authors.forename: Viviana
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Mari
authors.forename: Maria Loredana
authors.initials: ML
authors.lastname: Colaianni
authors.forename: Gabriella
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Elia
authors.forename: Vito
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Martella
authors.forename: Canio
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Buonavoglia
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002417:Cattle; D002418:Cattle Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000821:virology*; D018352:Coronavirus Infections / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000662:veterinary* / Q000821:virology; D017938:Coronavirus, Bovine / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D004196:Disease Outbreaks / Q000662:veterinary; D005260:Female; D019085:Fluorescent Antibody Technique, Direct / Q000662:veterinary; D007558:Italy / Q000453:epidemiology; D012367:RNA, Viral / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification; D012141:Respiratory Tract Infections / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000662:veterinary* / Q000821:virology; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction / Q000662:veterinary
chemical_list: D012367:RNA, Viral