48 (4) (2000)
JUBILEE ISSUE
commemorating the 50th Anniversary
of the Veterinary Medical Research Institute of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences
CONTENTS AND ABSTRACTS
Bacteriology
Screening of Hungarian cattle herds for Mycoplasma mycoides subspecies mycoides small colony infection with negative results.
L. Stipkovits, Á. Dán, Erika Varga, Paula De Santis, Rosella Lelly, Éva Kaszanyitzky, Ildikó Ferenczné Paluska, M. Tenk,
L. Tekes and B. Harrach
375Clinical study of the disease of calves associated with Mycoplasma bovis infection.
L. Stipkovits, P. Ripley, J. Varga and V. Pálfi
387The pathological effect of the Bordetella dermonecrotic toxin in mice.
T. Magyar, R. Glávits, G. D. Pullinger and A. J. Lax
397Epidemiology and characterization of animal Salmonella enterica subspecies enterica serotype Typhimurium DT104 in Hungary.
G. Szmollény, Ágnes Kostyák, S. Kovács, Kathleen Speed, Yvette Jones, Vera G. László, I. Gadó, Judit Pászti, C. Wray and B. Nagy
407Parasitology
Survey on Myxobolus infection of the bleak (Alburnus alburnus L.) in the River Danube and in Lake Balaton.
K. Molnár
421First report on the occurrence of an actinosporean stage (Myxozoa) in oligochaetes from Spanish freshwaters.
Cs. Székely, Ariadna Sitja-Bobadilla and Pilar Alvarez-Pellitero
433Virology
Pathological and immunological study of an in ovo complex vaccine against infectious bursal disease.
Mária Kelemen, Katalin Forgách, Judit Iván, V. Palya, T. Süveges, B. Tóth and J. Mészáros
443Studies on the pathogenesis of chicken infectious anaemia virus infection in six-week-old SPF chickens.
Cs. N. Drén, A. Kant, D. J. Van Roozelaar, L. Hartog, M. H. M. Noteborn and G. Koch
455New pig disease in Hungary: Postweaning multisystemic wasting syndrome caused by circovirus (Short communication).
I. Kiss, S. Kecskeméti, T. Tuboly, E. Bajmócy and J. Tanyi
469Comparison of the genome of ovine adenovirus types 1 through 5 by restriction enzyme analysis and DNA hybridisation.
Mária Benkő
477Reptile adenoviruses in cattle?
B. Harrach
485Porcine adenoviruses: An update on genome analysis and vector development.
M. Nagy and T. Tuboly
491Bovine herpesvirus type 4: A special herpesvirus (Review article).
L. Egyed
501
Acta Veterinaria Hungarica 48 (4), pp. 375–385 (2000)
SCREENING OF HUNGARIAN CATTLE HERDS
*, Á. Dán1, Erika Varga1, Paula De Santis2, Rosella Lelly2, Éva Kaszanyitzky3, Ildikó Ferenczné Paluska1, M. Tenk1, L. Tekes3
FOR MYCOPLASMA MYCOIDES SUBSPECIES MYCOIDES SMALL COLONY INFECTION WITH NEGATIVE RESULTS
and B. Harrach11
Veterinary Medical Research Institute, Hungarian Academy of Sciences, P.O. Box 18, H-1581 Budapest, Hungary; 2Zooprofilattico Sperimentale dell Abruzzo e del Molise ‘G. Caporale’, Teramo, Italy; 3Central Veterinary Institute, Budapest, Hungary(Received April 10, 2000; accepted May 3, 2000)
At abattoirs and farms, 1248 sera were collected from animals representing 121 farms, and examined by complement fixation test using Mycoplasma mycoides subspecies mycoides small colony type (MmmSC) antigen. All sera were negative except seven from four farms, giving ++ reactions in the serum dilution of 1:10. On retesting, these sera and additional 30 sera collected repeatedly in both farms gave negative results. In isolation attempts, 953 lung samples collected from slaughtered cattle at the same abattoirs, and 326 nasal swabs collected from 11 herds proved to be negative for the presence of MmmSC, but M. bovis was isolated frequently. In the small farms 23.95% of the animals had pleurisy and/or pneumonia while in the large herds 34.69% had lesions. DNA extracted from 50 nasal swabs and 430 lung samples was examined by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) using M. mycoides cluster-specific primers. DNA from further 325 lung samples was tested by the more specific M. mycoides subspecies mycoides small colony/large colony/capri specific primers and 196 samples by nested PCR specific for MmmSC. All gave negative results. The detection level of cluster-specific primers and the more specific primers was 33.4 pg of DNA, whereas that of nested PCR was 0.33 pg.
Key words: Contagious bovine pleuropneumonia, culturing of Mycoplasma mycoides subsp. mycoides SC, M. bovis, complement fixation test, PCR
*
E-mail: stipkovits@novell.vmri.hu; Fax: +36 (1) 467-4083; +36 (1) 252-1076CLINICAL STUDY OF THE DISEASE OF CALVES ASSOCIATED
WITH MYCOPLASMA BOVIS INFECTION
*, P. Ripley2, J. Varga3 and V. Pálfi41
Veterinary Medical Research Institute of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences, H-1581 Budapest, P.O. Box 18, Hungary;
2Novartis Animal Health UK Ltd, Camberley, Surrey, UK;
3Department of Microbiology and Infectious Diseases, University of Veterinary
Science, Budapest and 4Central Veterinary Institute, Budapest, Hungary(Received March 28, 2000; accepted October 17, 2000)
Clinical, bacteriological and serological examination of 35 calves from the age of 5 to 26 days was performed in a Holstein-Friesian dairy herd endemically infected with Mycoplasma bovis. M. bovis was isolated from 48.6% of nasal swabs taken from the calves at the age of 5 days, and from 91.4% of the same calves at the age of 26 days, indicating the gradual spread of infection. The isolation rate of Pasteurella multocida did not change much, and varied from 28.6 to 25.7%. No P. haemolytica could be detected. In addition to M. bovis and P. multocida, the herd was also infected with different viruses (including bovine viral diarrhoea virus, infectious bovine rhinotracheitis virus, bovine adenoviruses, parainfluenza-3 virus, and bovine respiratory syncytial virus) as a large proportion of the sera of newborn calves contained colostral antibodies against these viruses. In most of the newborn calves severe clinical signs (fever, depression, inappetence, hyperventilation, dyspnoea, nasal discharge and coughing) due to M. bovis infection developed. The clinical signs appeared already on the fifth day of life, and their incidence was the highest at the age of 10 to 15 days. Three calves (8.6%) died as a result of severe serofibrinous pneumonia. The surviving calves showed very poor weight gain (ranging from 1.5 to 3.5 kg) during the first two weeks of life.
Key words: Mycoplasma bovis, infection, calf, clinical signs, bacteriology, epidemiology
*
E-mail: stipkovits@novell.vmri.hu; Fax: +36 (1) 467-4083; +36 (1) 252-1076Acta Veterinaria Hungarica 48 (4), pp. 397–406 (2000)
THE PATHOLOGICAL EFFECT
OF THE BORDETELLA DERMONECROTIC TOXIN
IN MICE
T. Magyar1*, R. Glávits2, G. D. Pullinger3 and A. J. Lax3
1Veterinary Medical Research Institute, Hungarian Academy of
Sciences, H-1581
Budapest, P.O. Box 18, Hungary; 2Central Veterinary Institute, Budapest,
Hungary;
3Oral Microbiology, Guy’s, King’s and St Thomas’ Dental Institute,
King’s College London, London, United Kingdom
(Received October 9, 2000; accepted October 17, 2000)
The effect of dermonecrotic toxin (DNT) expression of Bordetella bronchiseptica was studied in mice by comparing the pathology induced by a wild type strain with that induced by an isogenic DNT– strain in which part of the structural gene has been replaced by an antibiotic resistance cassette. While extracts of strain B58 proved toxic in intravenously inoculated mice, similar extracts from strain B58GP had lost toxic activity. The parent (B58) and the mutant (B58GP) strains of B. bronchiseptica each possessed comparable virulence for mice. These findings confirmed that DNT production was successfully abolished in strain B58GP while other virulence characteristics required for pathogenicity in mice remained intact, at a comparable level to the parent strain. Turbinate atrophy was observed in mice infected with the DNT+ strain, but not in those infected with the DNT– strain. This indicates that DNT is the cause of turbinate atrophy in the mice and not other factors produced by phase I strains of B. bronchiseptica. B. bronchiseptica DNT showed a lienotoxic effect (lymphocyte depletion and a reduction in the intensity of extramedullar haemocytopoieis) that is considered to adversely alter the immune function of the host animal. In mice infected with strain B58GP, catarrhal pneumonia with characteristic lympho-histiocytic peribronchial and perivascular infiltration was noticed. In mice infected with strain B58, large necrotic areas were seen surrounded by an inflammatory reaction. The DNT appears to directly damage lung tissues, at least in mice. DNT production seems to enhance the establishment of B. bronchiseptica in the lungs, presumably by reducing the local resistance and causing severe local damage to the lung tissues.
Key words: Bordetella bronchiseptica, dermonecrotic toxin, mouse
*
E-mail: tibor@novell.vmri.hu; Fax: +36 (1) 467-4076Acta Veterinaria Hungarica 48 (4), pp. 407–420 (2000)
EPIDEMIOLOGY AND CHARACTERIZATION
OF ANIMAL SALMONELLA ENTERICA
SUBSPECIES ENTERICA SEROTYPE TYPHIMURIUM DT104
IN HUNGARY
G. Szmollény1, Ágnes Kostyák2,
S. Kovács2, Kathleen Speed3, Yvette Jones3,
Vera G. László4, I. Gadó4, Judit Pászti4, C. Wray3
and B. Nagy1*
1Veterinary Medical Research Institute, Hungarian Academy of
Sciences,
H1581 Budapest, P.O. Box 18, Hungary; 2National Food Investigation Institute,
Budapest, Hungary; 3Veterinary Laboratories Agency, Weybridge, Addleston, UK; 4National
Centre for Epidemiology ‘B. Johan’ Budapest, Hungary
(Received October 6, 2000; accepted October 17, 2000)
Reports on the internationally emerging significance of multiresistant zoonotic Salmonella in animals and man prompted studies to estimate the significance of multiresistant Salmonella enterica subspecies enterica serotype Typhimurium (S. Typhimurium) phage type DT104 of animal origin in Hungary. A collection of 231 strains (primarily of goose, turkey, poultry and porcine origin from the years 1997–1998) was tested for resistance against 7 selected antibiotics (ampicillin, chloramphenicol, enrofloxacin, nalidixic acid, streptomycin, tetracycline and sulphamethoxazole). Strains with resistance against 3 or more were defined as multiresistant. All strains were phage typed using Felix–Callow’s S. Typhimurium phage typing system, and 91 of them (suspect DT104) were also typed according to Anderson’s definitive typing (DT) system. In this study, 14% of animal strains from 1997–1998 was classified as DT104, for which turkey, pig and duck seemed to be the main carriers, and the multiresistant non-DT104 strains represented a further 6% of this collection. The prevalence of DT104 was highest among strains of turkey origin (50%), followed by strains of pig (29%), chicken (25%), duck (19%), and goose (3%) origin. The other DT104 related phage types (DT12 and U302) were only detected in the case of 4 strains (2 of porcine, and one each of turkey and of goose origin). The DT104 corresponded to the Felix–Callow types 2/3 or 2c/3 in each case, except in the case of 3 turkey strains where they corresponded to type 35/3. Nalidixic acid resistance was detected in all multiresistant turkey strains and in some of other animal origin but none of these strains were resistant to enrofloxacin. A retrospective analysis (based on the above relationship) indicated that S. Typhimurium strains corresponding to DT104 could be present and increase in the Hungarian farm animal population from about 2% to 20% between 1985 and 1990, in a manner similar to the emergence of human DT104, as reported elsewhere (Pászti et al., 2000). The 91 suspect DT104 strains were also tested for plasmid profile and for spvC gene indicating the presence of the large serotype specific plasmid (Ssp). No characteristic plasmid profile could be attributed to S. Typhimurium DT104. The serovar-specific large plasmid was detected by PCR for spvC in 100% of DT104 strains and in 77% of the non-DT104 strains. The virulence of two DT104 strains was tested in orally infected day-old chicks and compared with virulence of 4 non-DT104 strains. Higher colonizing virulence of DT104 strains could be established as compared to the other strains.
Key words: Salmonella enterica serotype Typhimurium DT104, antibiotic resistance, goose strains, spvC gene PCR, virulence plasmid, virulence in chicken
*
Corresponding author; E-mail: bnagy@novell.vmri.hu; Fax: +36 (1) 252-1069
Acta Veterinaria Hungarica 48 (4), pp. 421–432 (2000)
SURVEY ON MYXOBOLUS INFECTION
*
OF THE BLEAK (ALBURNUS ALBURNUS L.)
IN THE RIVER DANUBE AND IN LAKE BALATONVeterinary Medical Research Institute, Hungarian Academy of Sciences,
H-1581 Budapest, P.O. Box 18, Hungary(Received March 20, 2000; accepted May 3, 2000)
In a three-year survey of myxosporean infections of the bleak (Alburnus alburnus), involving the examination of 205 fish specimens from the River Danube and 50 from Lake Balaton, four Myxobolus species (two gill parasites, one fin parasite and a species parasitising the skeletal muscles) were detected. Two of the species could be identified as M. alburni and M. obesus. Of the other two species, the gill parasite proved to be a hitherto undescribed species which is described here as a new species by the name of M. margitae. One of the two gill-parasitic species, M. obesus, formed plasmodia in the respiratory lamellae of the gill filaments, while the plasmodia of M. margitae n. sp. were formed in the afferent artery of the primary gill filaments. The plasmodia containing spores morphologically identifiable with the species M. alburni were located in the connective tissue between the fin rays. The less frequently found muscle-parasitic Myxobolus species has not been identified precisely. The plasmodia of M. obesus were found in the fish in May and June, while those of M. alburni and M. margitae n. sp. in July and August. The prevalence of infection in fish examined in these periods was 15.5% for M. obesus, 11.5% for M. margitae and 14.0% for M. alburni.
Key words: Myxobolus, bleak, new species, histology
*
E-mail: kalman@novell.vmri.hu; Fax: +36 (1) 252-1069
Acta Veterinaria Hungarica 48 (4), pp. 433–441 (2000)
FIRST REPORT ON THE OCCURRENCE
*, Ariadna Sitja-Bobadilla2 and Pilar Alvarez-Pellitero2
OF AN ACTINOSPOREAN STAGE (MYXOZOA)
IN OLIGOCHAETES FROM SPANISH FRESHWATERS1
Veterinary Medical Research Institute, Hungarian Academy of Sciences, H-1581 Budapest, P.O. Box 18, Hungary;
2Instituto de Acuicultura de Torre de la Sal (C.S.I.C.), 12595 Ribera de Cabanes, Castellón, Spain(Received April 3, 2000; accepted May 3, 2000)
Oligochaetes living in the Mijares River close to the Sitjar reservoir, and polychaetes from the brackish and marine waters of a channel flowing into the Mediterranean Sea, both in the province of Castellón (Spain), were examined for the presence of actinosporea. An aurantiactinomyxon was isolated from 60 specimens of the oligochaete Branchiura sowerbyi collected from the river, but no actinospores were isolated from 160 polychaetes collected from the sea channel. The aurantiactinospores were detected by the cell-well plate method. The detected species are not identical with any of the aurantiactinomyxon forms hitherto described in the literature. This is the first report on the occurrence of an actinosporea in Spanish waters.
Key words: Actinosporea, Myxozoa, aurantiactinospore, Branchiura sowerbyi, Oligochaete, first report
*
E-mail: szekely@vmri.hu; Fax: +36 (1) 252-1069/2497Acta Veterinaria Hungarica 48 (4), pp. 443–454 (2000)
PATHOLOGICAL AND IMMUNOLOGICAL STUDY
*, Katalin Forgách1, Judit Iván2, V. Palya1, T. Süveges1, B. Tóth1
OF AN IN OVO COMPLEX VACCINE
AGAINST INFECTIOUS BURSAL DISEASE
and J. Mészáros21
Ceva-Phylaxia Veterinary Biologicals Co. Ltd., H-1107 Budapest, Szállás u. 5,
Hungary; 2Veterinary Medical Research Institute of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences,
H-1581 Budapest, P.O. Box 18, Hungary(Received June 30, 2000; accepted October 17, 2000)
The appearance of very virulent strains of infectious bursal disease (IBD) virus at the end of the 1980s made it necessary to develop more effective immunization procedures. To facilitate this, the immunogenicity and the immunosuppressive effect of a mild (G-87), an intermediate (LIBD) and an intermediate-plus (IBDV 2512) IBDV strain were tested after the in ovo inoculation of 18-day-old SPF and broiler chicken embryos. It was established that no noteworthy difference existed between the immunized and the control embryos in hatching rate and hatching weight. The higher the virulence of the vaccine virus strain, the more severe damage it caused to the lymphocytes of the bursa of Fabricius. In SPF chickens, the haemagglutination inhibition (HI) titres induced by a Newcastle disease (ND) vaccine administered at day old decreased in inverse ratio to the virulence of the IBD vaccine strain, while in broiler chickens this was not observed. Despite the decrease of the HI titre, the level of protection did not decline, or did so only after the use of the ‘hot’ strain. SPF chickens immunized in ovo with a complex vaccine prepared from strain IBDV 2512 and IBD antibody showed the same protection against Newcastle disease as the broilers. In broiler chicken embryos immunized in ovo, only strain IBDV 2512 induced antibody production, and such chickens were protected against IBD at 3 weeks of age. The complex vaccine administered in ovo has been used successfully at farm hatcheries as well.
Key words: Infectious bursal disease virus, in ovo, immunosuppressive effect, SPF embryos, broiler embryos, IBDV strains G-87, LIBD, IBDV 2512
*
E-mail: maria.kelemen@cevavet.com; Fax: +36 (1) 260-3889Acta Veterinaria Hungarica 48 (4), pp. 455–467 (2000)
STUDIES ON THE PATHOGENESIS
*, A. Kant2, D. J. Van Roozelaar2, L. Hartog2, M. H. M. Noteborn3 and G. Koch2
OF CHICKEN INFECTIOUS ANAEMIA VIRUS INFECTION
IN SIX-WEEK-OLD SPF CHICKENS1
Veterinary Medical Research Institute, Hungarian Academy of Sciences,
H-1581 Budapest, P.O. Box 18, Hungary; 2DLO Institute of Animal Science and Health, Lelystad, The Netherlands; 3Laboratory for Molecular Carcinogenesis,
Leiden University, Leiden, The Netherlands(Received June 30, 2000; accepted October 17, 2000)
The pathogenesis of chicken infectious anaemia virus (CAV) infection was studied in 6-week-old and one-day-old SPF chickens inoculated intramuscularly with graded doses of Cux-1 strain (106–102 TCID50/chicken). Viraemia, virus shedding, development of virus neutralizing (VN) antibodies and CAV distribution in the thymus were studied by virus isolation, polymerase chain reaction (PCR), immunocytochemistry (IP) and in situ hybridization until postinfection day (PID) 28. In 6-week-old chickens infected with high doses of CAV, viraemia and VN antibodies could be detected 4 PID and onward without virus shedding or contact transmission to sentinel birds. However, virus shedding and contact transmission were demonstrated in one-day-old infected chickens. In the 6-week-old groups infected with lower doses, VN antibodies developed by PID 14, transient viraemia and virus shedding were detected. The thymus cortex of all 1-day-old inoculated chickens stained with VP3-specific mAb. Cells with positive in situ hybridization signal were fewer and scattered throughout the thymus tissue of the one-day-old inoculated chickens as compared to IP-positive cells. These results suggest that early immune response induced by high doses of CAV in 6-week-old chickens curtails viral replication and prevents virus shedding.
Key words: Chicken infectious anaemia virus, PCR, immunosuppression, pathogenesis, epidemiology
*
E-mail: dren@novell.vmri.hu; Fax: +36 (1) 467-4076Acta Veterinaria Hungarica 48 (4), pp. 469–475 (2000)
NEW PIG DISEASE IN HUNGARY: POSTWEANING MULTISYSTEMIC WASTING SYNDROME CAUSED BY CIRCOVIRUS (SHORT COMMUNICATION)
I. Kiss1, S. Kecskeméti1, T. Tuboly2
*, E. Bajmócy1 and J. Tanyi11
Veterinary Institute of Debrecen, H-4002 Debrecen, P.O. Box 51, Hungary; 2Veterinary Medical Research Institute, Hungarian Academy of Sciences, Budapest, Hungary(Received February 21, 2000; accepted May 3, 2000)
Postweaning multisystemic wasting syndrome (PMWS), a new disease in Hungary, was recognized in a swine herd located in Southeast Hungary, during the early winter of 1999. The first clinical signs of paleness, anaemia, and leanness appeared immediately after weaning, at the age of 40–50 days. Pustules were frequently observed on the skin of the trunk, and signs of necrotic dermatitis were also visible. A syndrome of poor growth and wasting was characteristic of the affected pigs. A porcine circovirus (PCV), the suspected causative agent, was detected by polymerase chain reaction (PCR). Sequencing data and restriction endonuclease (RE) analysis of the PCR products suggested that the virus belonged to the PCV-II group where all the causative agents of PMWS are also grouped.
Key words: Porcine circovirus (PCV), postweaning multisystemic wasting syndrome (PMWS)
*
Corresponding author. E-mail: tuboly@novell.vmri.hu; Fax: +36 (1) 467-4076Acta Veterinaria Hungarica 48 (4), pp. 477–484 (2000)
COMPARISON OF THE GENOME OF OVINE ADENOVIRUS TYPES 1 THROUGH 5 BY RESTRICTION ENZYME ANALYSIS AND DNA HYBRIDISATION
Benkő*Veterinary Medical Research Institute, Hungarian Academy of Sciences,
H-1581 Budapest, P.O. Box 18, Hungary(Received June 30, 2000; accepted October 17, 2000)
The DNA of the prototype strains of ovine adenovirus (OAdV) 1 through 5 was analysed by restriction enzyme (RE) digestion. The RE patterns generated by HindIII and PstI enzymes were characteristic of the examined strains. OAdV-2 and 3 resembled each other the most, and their EcoRI and HindIII patterns seemed to be identical. Considering the number of comigrating fragments, serotypes OAdV-2, 3, 4 and 5 looked more closely related to each other than to OAdV-1. This finding was strengthened by Southern blot hybridisations probed with random HindIII clones of OAdV-3. The estimated genome size of the examined OAdV types ranged between 31.9 and 32.8 kilobase pairs. The results supported the new genus classification of OAdVs.
Key words: Ovine adenoviruses, restriction enzyme analysis, Southern hybridisation, taxonomy
*
E-mail: benko@novell.vmri.hu; Fax: +36 (1) 467-4076Acta Veterinaria Hungarica 48 (4), pp. 485–490 (2000)
REPTILE ADENOVIRUSES IN CATTLE?
Veterinary Medical Research Institute, Hungarian Academy of Sciences,
H-1581 Budapest, P.O. Box 18, Hungary(Received March 20, 2000; accepted October 17, 2000)
This paper describes a hypothesis on the origin of the members of the recently established adenovirus genus, Atadenovirus, invading cattle, sheep, deer, duck and poultry. Comparison of the phylogenetic trees of adenoviruses and their hosts suggests a very ancient but common origin for the atadenoviruses. The surprisingly large difference between these virus types and other adenoviruses infecting the same host can be easily understood by assuming their separate evolution in different hosts (e.g., in reptiles versus a coevolution with mammals and birds, respectively) followed by a later host switch.
Key words: Adenovirus, atadenovirus, evolution, phylogenetics
*
E-mail: harrach@vmri.hu; Fax: +36 (1) 467-4076Acta Veterinaria Hungarica 48 (4), pp. 491–499 (2000)
PORCINE ADENOVIRUSES: AN UPDATE ON GENOME ANALYSIS AND VECTOR DEVELOPMENT
M. Nagy and T. Tuboly*
Veterinary Medical Research Institute, Hungarian Academy of Sciences,
H-1581 Budapest, P.O. Box 18, Hungary(Received August 9, 2000; accepted October 17, 2000)
Although porcine adenoviruses (PAdV) are present in the swine populations worldwide, they usually do not cause any disease, or the infection is only manifested in a mild diarrhoea or respiratory signs. The importance of adenoviruses, however, is constantly growing as there is a possibility of developing them into viral vector vaccines against more significant swine pathogens. A short summary of the well-established facts of porcine adenoviruses is given and recent developments of the genetic analysis of these viruses are discussed in detail. The possibilities of vector development and examples of vector vaccines already reported in the literature are mentioned.
Key words: Porcine adenovirus, sequence analysis, vectors
*
Corresponding author; E-mail: tuboly@novell.vmri.hu; Fax: +36 (1) 467-4076Acta Veterinaria Hungarica 48 (4), pp. 501–513 (2000)
BOVINE HERPESVIRUS TYPE 4: A SPECIAL HERPESVIRUS (REVIEW ARTICLE)
*Veterinary Medical Research Institute of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences
H1581 Budapest, P.O. Box 18, Hungary(Received May 20, 2000; accepted October 17, 2000)
This paper summarizes the history of and information on bovine herpesvirus type 4 (BoHV-4) from the first isolation to the most recent results. For almost twenty years BoHV-4 has been considered a typical herpes ‘orphan’ virus, which infects several species but causes no illness. The latest experiments revealed the close relationship of this virus with the immune system and other tissues. The virus was even considered as a possible candidate for a vector vaccine. BoHV-4 as a strange herpesvirus has several features which are not characteristic of other herpesviruses, such as several latency sites, persistence in serum, dividing cells necessary for virus replication, and the wide host range. In addition to describing the main features of the virion, replication, clinical signs, nomenclature problems, this review intends to concentrate on the new and strange results coming out from several laboratories worldwide. It is also suggested that because the virus combines several properties of various herpesvirus subfamilies and because of its close relationship with the immune system, it may deserve further attention as a representative of a potentially new genus within the Gammaherpesvirinae subfamily.
Key words: Bovine herpesvirus type 4, pathogenesis, latency, structure, replication
*
E-mail: laci@novell.vmri.hu; Fax: +36 (1) 467-4076