Involvement of herpesviruses in cases of abortion among water buffaloes in southern Italy

• DOI: 10.1007/s11259-022-09887-7
• Publication Date: 2022-01-26T16:04:43Z
• Authors: Claudia Esposito; Filomena Fiorito; Gianluca Miletti; Francesco Serra; Anna Balestrieri; Barbara Cioffi; Claudia Cerracchio; Giorgio Galiero; Esterina De Carlo; Maria Grazia Amoroso; Giovanna Fusco
• Keywords: Water buffalo; Bovine herpesvirus 1

A six-year study on water buffaloes from the Campania Region (Southern Italy) was conducted to evaluate the presence of bovine/bubaline herpesviruses in cases of abortion. A total of 244 buffalo foetuses were analysed by real-time PCR to detect the presence of: bovine alphaherpesvirus 1(BoHV-1), bubaline alphaherpesvirus 1 (BuHV-1), bovine alphaherpesvirus 2 (BuHV-2), and bovine gammaherpesvirus 4 (BoHV-4). The foetuses of 14 water buffaloes that showed abortions were positive for BuHV-1 (4 animals) and/or BoHV-4 (11 animals), with one of these cases showing co-infection with BuHV-1 and BoHV-4. This study reports the first identification of BoHV-4 in water buffaloes. Cases of abortion were analysed using both molecular and cultural assays for the presence of other pathogens. In nearly all the abortion cases positive for BoHV-4, the virus was identified as a co-infecting agent together with other microorganisms, whereas in two abortion cases, it was the only pathogen found.