Clinical and laboratory investigation in an outbreak of acute bovine viral diarrhea virus infection (bvdv)‎ mixed with bovine herpesvirus 1 (bhv-1)‎ in salhea farm at sharkia province

Abstract EN

During March 2009, an outbreak of acute bovine viral diarrhea virus (BVDV) mixed with bovine herpesvirus 1 (BHV-1) occurred in Salhea farm (Sharkia, Egypt).

During this outbreak clinical findings were noticed only in newlyborn calves less than two months of age.

Morbidity, mortality and case fatality rates were 89.7 %, 17.9 % and 20 %, respectively.

The most clinical signs of outbreak were fever (39-41.5°C), anorexia, muzzle lesions which appeared as redness, ulceration and crust formation, conjunctivitis and corneal opacity.

Abnormal nasal discharges (serous, seromucoid, mucoid and mucopurulent), lung auscultation revealed harsh loud breath sound and wheezes, oral lesions in tongue, lower gum and cheek papillae appeared as ulceration, necrosis and hyperemia, dry cough and dyspnea in some cases.

Diarrhea wasn’t prominant sign of outbreak.

Nasal swabs, ocular swabs and buffy coat samples were collected from affected calves for viral isolation.

Cytopathic BVDV was isolated and identified by direct immunofluoresence from buffy coat samples, while BHV-1 was isolated and identified by indirect immunofluoresence and PCR from nasal swabs.