Systemic infection induced by intranasal inoculation of Bovine herpesvirus 1.1 in pregnant and non-pregnant rabbits

ALEJANDRO R VALERA; NADIA A FUNTEALBA; CAROLINA NATALIA ZANUZZI; SANTIAGO CORVA; MARCELO PECCORARO; CLAUDIO G. BARBEITO; CECILIA M GALOSI

RESEARCH IN VETERINARY SCIENCE

ELSEVIER SCI LTD

Lugar: Amsterdam; Año: 2013 vol. 95 p. 709 - 716

0034-5288

Bovine herpesvirus (BoHV) type 1.1 (BoHV-1.1) causes repeated outbreaks of upper27 respiratory disease and abortion in cattle. The systemic effects of BoHV-1.1 in rabbits,28 using intranasal inoculation are reported. Female rabbits were divided into four groups29 and inoculated with the virus 10 days before mating, and at 15 or 22 days of pregnancy.30 Studies of the clinical signs, antibody production, virus isolation, and DNA detection as31 well as histological and immunohistochemical studies were carried out on lungs,32 kidneys, spleen, placentas, uteri and foetal tissues. All virus-inoculated animals33 developed respiratory clinical signs and a humoral response. BoHV-1.1 was isolated34 from nasal swabs and plasma rich in leukocytes, and viral DNA was detected in blood,35 dead foetuses and placentas. Histopathological lesions were found in the respiratory36 tract and some placentas and foetuses were immunohistochemically positive. Intranasal37 inoculation might be useful to study the systemic effects of BoHV-1.1 infection in the38 rabbit model.