Reproductive tract disease associated with inoculation of pregnant white-tailed deer with bovine viral diarrhea virus.
OBJECTIVE
To inoculate white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) during the sixth or seventh week of gestation with bovine viral diarrhea virus (BVDV) and observe for signs of reproductive tract disease during a 182-day period.


METHODS
10 pregnant white-tailed deer (8 seronegative and 2 seropositive [control deer] for BVDV).


METHODS
Deer were inoculated with 1 of 2 deer-derived BVDV strains (RO3-20663 or RO3-24272). Serum anti-BVDV antibody titers were determined prior to and 21 or 35 days after inoculation. Virus isolation (VI) procedures were performed on tissues from fetuses and does that died and on blood samples collected from live fawns. Ear notch specimens obtained from live fawns were assessed by use of BVDV antigen-capture ELISA (ACE).


RESULTS
Both RO3-20663-inoculated seropositive deer gave birth to apparently normal fawns. Among the RO3-24272-inoculated seronegative deer, 1 died, and 1 aborted and 1 resorbed their fetuses; among the RO3-20663-inoculated seronegative deer, 3 died, 1 aborted its fetus, and 1 gave birth to 2 fawns that were likely persistently infected. On the basis of VI and ACE results, those 2 fawns were positive for BVDV; both had no detectable neutralizing anti-BVDV antibodies in serum.


CONCLUSIONS
Reproductive tract disease that developed in pregnant white-tailed deer following BVDV inoculation was similar to that which develops in BVDV-exposed cattle. Methods developed for BVDV detection in cattle (VI, immunohistochemical evaluations, and ACE) can be applied in assessments of white-tailed deer. Fawns from does that had serum anti-BVDV antibodies prior to inoculation were protected against BVDV infection in utero.
Ridpath
Julia F
JF
Virus and Prion Diseases of Livestock Research Unit, National Animal Disease Center, USDA Agricultural Research Service, Ames, IA 50010, USA.
Driskell
Elizabeth A
EA
Chase
Christopher C L
CC
Neill
John D
JD
Palmer
Mitchell V
MV
Brodersen
Bruce W
BW
D000818:Animals; D000914:Antibodies, Viral; D003670:Deer; D001908:Diarrhea Viruses, Bovine Viral / Q000472:pathogenicity*; D004198:Disease Susceptibility / Q000662:veterinary / Q000821:virology; D005260:Female; D005831:Genital Diseases, Female / Q000662:veterinary* / Q000821:virology; D018445:Infectious Disease Transmission, Vertical / Q000662:veterinary; D011247:Pregnancy
D000914:Antibodies, Viral