title: The first case of a bull persistently infected with Border disease virus in New Zealand.
abstract: METHODS
  Poor reproductive performance was observed in 62 dairy heifers, with a pregnancy rate of 23% following 57 days mating with one 3-year-old and two 2-year old Belted Galloway bulls that were sourced from separate sheep and beef farms.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The 3-year-old bull was small for its age with small testes. This bull was seropositive for bovine viral diarrhoea virus type I (BVDV 1) using an Ag-ELISA, and positive on PCR for border disease virus (BDV). DIAGNOSTIC INVESTIGATION: Phylogenetic analysis of the BDV isolate from the affected bull indicated that it was part of the BDV 1 group. For 40 of the heifers exposed to the bull that were tested, all of them had a positive VNT (virus neutralisation test) titre to both BDV (titre≥1:4) and BVDV 1 (titre>1:4). On the farm of origin of the affected bull there was no evidence of BDV circulating between cattle.
  
  
  METHODS
  Persistent infection of a bull with BDV.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Cattle persistently infected with BDV can act as a source of virus for infection of other cattle. The benefit of testing cattle for bovine viral diarrhoea could be enhanced by using tests that also detect BDV.
authors.affiliation: Investigation and Diagnostic Centre, Wallaceville, New Zealand. andrew.mcfadden@maf.govt.nz
authors.forename: A M J
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: McFadden
authors.forename: D J
authors.initials: DJ
authors.lastname: Tisdall
authors.forename: F I
authors.initials: FI
authors.lastname: Hill
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Otterson
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Pulford
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Peake
authors.forename: C J
authors.initials: CJ
authors.lastname: Finnegan
authors.forename: S A
authors.initials: SA
authors.lastname: La Rocca
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Kok-Mun
authors.forename: A M
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Weir
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001882:Border Disease / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000821:virology*; D018083:Border disease virus / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D002417:Cattle; D002418:Cattle Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000821:virology*; D005260:Female; D018445:Infectious Disease Transmission, Vertical / Q000662:veterinary; D008297:Male; D009500:Neutralization Tests; D009520:New Zealand / Q000453:epidemiology; D010802:Phylogeny; D011247:Pregnancy; D012698:Serologic Tests; D012756:Sheep