Bovine Enterovirus
Also Known As – BEV – Enteric Cytopathic Bovine Orphan Virus - ECBO
Introduction
Bovine enterovirus is a small RNA picornavirus causing reproductive, gastrointestinal and respiratory disease in cattle. Most have a low virulence.
The enteroviruses multiply primarily in the gastrointestinal tract but also in the muscles and nervous tissue. There are 10 recognised serotypes within 2 serogroups.
BEV is also often found concurrently with other diseases, including respiratory disease, abortions, rhinitis and shipping fever.
Careful diagnosis is required due to serological and virological similarities with Foot and Mouth Disease.
BEV is not zoonotic.
Distribution
Worldwide
Ubiquitous among cattle populations globally.
Signalment
Serotype 1 has been found in cattle, buffalo, sheep, goats, deer ad wild cattle.
Those viruses in serotype 2 have only been isolated from domestic cattle. All ages and breeds are susceptible.
Transmission is faecal:oral and airborne and the virus is highly resistant to environmental challenges.
Clinical Signs
Reproductive disease is the most common clinical presentation manifesting as abortion, stillbirths, infertility and neonatal deaths.
Diarrhoea with mucus and dark colour
Pyrexia, dehydration, weight loss
60-70% reduction in milk yield
Mucoid nasal discharge
Infected cattle disseminate the virus continually through their faeces and nasal discharge and this can continue for more than three months after apparent recovery.
No clinical signs are pathognomic.
Diagnosis
Diagnosis partially relies upon ruling out other possible causes of the clinical signs.
BEV can be isolated from faeces, oesophageal scrapings, vaginal mucosa, rectal swabs, semen, blood, placenta, foetal materials and fluids, lungs, salivary glands, small intestine, lymph nodes, nasal swabs and other organs.
The virus can then be morphologically identified by electron microscopy, PCR, Complement Fixation, Antibody fluorescence and haemagglutination.
Serum neutralisatino can detect antibodies to BEV.
Treatment
No specific treatment is available. Symptomatic treatment may improve recovery and demeanour.
Control
Isolation and adequate disinfection are important in containing outbreaks. No vaccine is available.
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References
Animal Health & Production Compendium, Bovine Enterovirus datasheet, accessed 16/06/2011 @ http://www.cabi.org/ahpc/
Animal Health & Production Compendium, Bovine Enterovirus Infections datasheet, accessed 16/06/2011 @ http://www.cabi.org/ahpc/