Authors: H Tsunemitsu D R Smith L J Saif
Publish Date: 2014/04/08
Volume: 144, Issue: 1, Pages: 167-175
Abstract
A reverse transcriptase PCR RTPCR targeting a 407 bp fragment of the nucleocapsid gene of bovine coronavirus BCV was developed for detection of BCV RNA in feces of experimentally inoculated cattle The sensitivity and specificity of the RTPCR were confirmed using tissue cultureadapted BCV strains and feces of 2 calves inoculated with BCV Ten nonpregant BCV seropositive adult dairy cows were inoculated with winter dysentery WD n = 8 or calf diarrhea CD n = 2 strains of BCV intranasally and orally n = 2 or through a surgicallyplaced duodenal catheter n = 8 with and without dexamethasone treatment or feeding ice water The 6 cows inoculated with BCV intranasally and through a duodenal catheter 2 of 2 cows given CD BCV and 4 of 6 cows given WD BCV developed mild diarrhea and BCV was detected in diarrheal feces by RTPCR ELISA or immune electron microscopy These results suggest that CD and WD strains of BCV can cause diarrhea in adult cows in conjunction with host or environmental factors and that RTPCR might be useful to diagnose BCV infections in calves and adult cows
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