title: Persistent infections after natural transmission of bovine viral diarrhoea virus from cattle to goats and among goats.
abstract: Bovine viral diarrhoea virus (BVDV) is an economically important pathogen of cattle worldwide. Infection of a pregnant animal may lead to persistent infection of the foetus and birth of a persistently infected (PI) calf that sheds the virus throughout its life. However, BVD viruses are not strictly species specific. BVDV has been isolated from many domesticated and wild ruminants. This is of practical importance as virus reservoirs in non-bovine hosts may hamper BVDV control in cattle. A goat given as a social companion to a BVDV PI calf gave birth to a PI goat kid. In order to test if goat to goat infections were possible, seronegative pregnant goats were exposed to the PI goat. In parallel, seronegative pregnant goats were kept together with the PI calf. Only the goat to goat transmission resulted in the birth of a next generation of BVDV PI kids whereas all goats kept together with the PI calf aborted. To our knowledge, this is the first report which shows that a PI goat cannot only transmit BVD virus to other goats but that such transmission may indeed lead to the birth of a second generation of PI goats. Genetic analyses indicated that establishment in the new host species may be associated with step-wise adaptations in the viral genome. Thus, goats have the potential to be a reservoir for BVDV. However, the PI goats showed growth retardation and anaemia and their survival under natural conditions remains questionable.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Veterinary Virology, University of Bern, Länggassstr, 122, P,O, Box 8466, CH-3001 Bern, Switzerland. c.bachofen@gmx.net.
authors.forename: Claudia
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Bachofen
authors.forename: Hans-Rudolf
authors.initials: HR
authors.lastname: Vogt
authors.forename: Hanspeter
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Stalder
authors.forename: Tanja
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Mathys
authors.forename: Reto
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Zanoni
authors.forename: Monika
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Hilbe
authors.forename: Matthias
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Schweizer
authors.forename: Ernst
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Peterhans
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000914:Antibodies, Viral / Q000097:blood; D001912:Bovine Virus Diarrhea-Mucosal Disease / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000635:transmission* / Q000821:virology; D002417:Cattle; D001908:Diarrhea Viruses, Bovine Viral / Q000235:genetics* / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000502:physiology*; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay / Q000662:veterinary; D005260:Female; D015511:Goat Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000635:transmission* / Q000821:virology; D006041:Goats; D018445:Infectious Disease Transmission, Vertical / Q000662:veterinary*; D008297:Male; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction / Q000662:veterinary; D011247:Pregnancy; D013557:Switzerland / Q000453:epidemiology
chemical_list: D000914:Antibodies, Viral