title: Generation of calves persistently infected with HoBi-like pestivirus and comparison of methods for detection of these persistent infections.
abstract: The identification and elimination of persistently infected (PI) cattle are the most effective measures for controlling bovine pestiviruses, including bovine viral diarrhea virus (BVDV) and the emerging HoBi-like viruses. Here, colostrum-deprived calves persistently infected with HoBi-like pestivirus (HoBi-like PI calves) were generated and sampled (serum, buffy coat, and ear notches) on the day of birth (DOB) and weekly for 5 consecutive weeks. The samples were subjected to diagnostic tests for BVDV--two reverse transcriptase PCR (RT-PCR) assays, two commercial real-time RT quantitative PCR (RT-qPCR), two antigen capture enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays (ACE), and immunohistochemistry (IHC)--and to HoBi-like virus-specific RT-PCR and RT-qPCR assays. The rate of false negatives varied among the calves. The HoBi-like virus-specific RT-PCR detected HoBi-like virus in 83%, 75%, and 87% of the serum, buffy coat, and ear notch samples, respectively, while the HoBi-like RT-qPCR detected the virus in 83%, 96%, and 62%, respectively. In comparison, the BVDV RT-PCR test had a higher rate of false negatives in all tissue types, especially for the ear notch samples (missing detection in at least 68% of the samples). The commercial BVDV RT-qPCRs and IHC detected 100% of the ear notch samples as positive. While ACE based on the BVDV glycoprotein E(rns) detected infection in at least 87% of ear notches, no infections were detected using NS3-based ACE. The BVDV RT-qPCR, ACE, and IHC yielded higher levels of detection than the HoBi-like virus-specific assays, although the lack of differentiation between BVDV and HoBi-like viruses would make these tests of limited use for the control and/or surveillance of persistent HoBi-like virus infection. An improvement in HoBi-like virus tests is required before a reliable HoBi-like PI surveillance program can be designed.
authors.affiliation: Ruminant Disease and Immunology Research Unit, National Animal Disease Center, USDA, Agricultural Research Service, Ames, Iowa, USA Department of Preventive Veterinary Medicine, Federal University of Santa Maria, Santa Maria, Brazil fernando.bauermann@ars.usda.gov.
authors.forename: F V
authors.initials: FV
authors.lastname: Bauermann
authors.affiliation: Elanco Animal Health, Vaccine Development, Greenfield, Indiana, USA.
authors.forename: S M
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: Falkenberg
authors.affiliation: College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Missouri, Columbia, Missouri, USA.
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Vander Ley
authors.affiliation: Department of Veterinary Medicine, University of Bari, Valenzano, Italy.
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Decaro
authors.affiliation: School of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, University of Nebraska, Lincoln, Nebraska, USA.
authors.forename: B W
authors.initials: BW
authors.lastname: Brodersen
authors.affiliation: Novartis Animal Health US, Inc., Larchwood, Iowa, USA.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Harmon
authors.affiliation: Haskell County Animal Hospital LLC, Central States Testing LLC, Sublette, Kansas, USA.
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Hessman
authors.affiliation: Department of Preventive Veterinary Medicine, Federal University of Santa Maria, Santa Maria, Brazil.
authors.forename: E F
authors.initials: EF
authors.lastname: Flores
authors.affiliation: Ruminant Disease and Immunology Research Unit, National Animal Disease Center, USDA, Agricultural Research Service, Ames, Iowa, USA.
authors.forename: J F
authors.initials: JF
authors.lastname: Ridpath
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D058621:Blood Buffy Coat / Q000821:virology; D002417:Cattle; D019411:Clinical Laboratory Techniques / Q000379:methods*; D003955:Diagnostic Tests, Routine / Q000379:methods*; D004423:Ear / Q000821:virology; D005188:False Negative Reactions; D007118:Immunoassay / Q000379:methods; D007150:Immunohistochemistry / Q000379:methods; D025202:Molecular Diagnostic Techniques / Q000379:methods; D010576:Pestivirus / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D018182:Pestivirus Infections / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000662:veterinary*; D044967:Serum / Q000821:virology