Experimental infection of goats at different stages of pregnancy with caprine herpesvirus 1

• DOI: 10.1016/s0147-9571(03)00012-2
• Publication Date: 2003-04-07T17:19:33Z
• Authors: M Tempesta; M Camero; R.L Sciorsci; G Greco; R Minoia; V Martella; A Pratelli; C Buonavoglia
• Keywords: Male; 0301 basic medicine; Goat Diseases; Goats; Herpesviridae Infections; Abortion, Veterinary; Antibodies, Viral; Polymerase Chain Reaction; 3. Good health; 03 medical and health sciences; Fetus; Neutralization Tests; Pregnancy; DNA, Viral; Animals; Female; Varicellovirus; Pregnancy Complications, Infectious

Three goats from a group of five caprine herpesvirus 1 (CpHV.1) seronegative pregnant goats were inoculated intranasally with a virulent BA.1 strain of CpHV.1. Goat n.1 was infected on day 45 of pregnancy, goat n.2 on day 92 and goat n.3 on day 127. Each of the three goats produced a single foetus 10-60 days after infection. Foetus n.1 was never found and so it could not be examined for virological findings. Goat n.2 delivered at term of gestation and CpHV.1 was detected by PCR and isolated from most of the foetal organs. Foetus n.3 was partially autolysed and the virus was only detected by PCR but not isolated from foetal organs. The results confirm the damaging effect of CpHV.1 infection on pregnancy, the difficulty in diagnosing the CpHV.1 induced abortion, and the importance developing appropriate prophylactic programmes.