Vol. 45, No. 1, 2001 content next

THE DETECTION OF ANIMALS PERSISTENTLY INFECTED WITH THE BOVINE VIRAL DIARRHOEA VIRUS IN THE BREEDING OF CATTLE IN NORTHERN SLOVAKIA

Pistl, J. 1, Mikula, I. 1, Kantíková, M. 2, Kusová, I. 1, Dušek, J. 3, Vankúšová, M. 2

1 University of Veterinary Medicine
Košice
The Slovak Republic		 2 State Veterinary Institute
Dolný Kubín
The Slovak Republic		 3 Regional Veterinary Administration
Žilina
The Slovak Republic
This paper was originally presented at the 2nd Middle-European Congress for Buiatrics held in Stará Lesná. The High Tatras, from the 10th to 13th May 2000

Summary

An important consequence of the intrauterine infection of pregnant cows with bovine viral diarrhoea virus (BVDV) is the birth of persistently-infected (PI) individuals, which play an important role in spreading infection in the herd, because they act as life-long producers of the virus and do not induce the production of BVDV-specific antibodies. With regard to this, we carried out an investigation on 8 farms in Northern Slovakia in a circle with a diameter of about 100 km aimed at determining the presence of the presence of specific BVDV antibodies (Ab) in blood serum and tank-milk and viral antigen (Ag) in blood leukocytes using the "young animals window" method. The high prevalence of BVDV-Ab in the blood sera of animals (6-24 months) in six out of eight farms indicated the presence in the herds of PI individuals, whose detection plays an important role in controlling BVDV infection in the herd. In 4 herds BVDV-Ag was detected in sero-negative animals, which indicated PI individuals.

Key words: cattle; bovine viral diarrhoea; persistent infection; Northern Slovakia

References

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Folia Veterinaria / 2001