CVI Accepts, published online ahead of print on 21 October 2009

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Clin. Vaccine Immunol. doi:10.1128/CVI.00218-09
Copyright (c) 2009, American Society for Microbiology and/or the Listed Authors/Institutions. All Rights Reserved.

Experimental infection of reindeer with Cervid herpesvirus 2

Carlos G. das Neves^*, Torill Mørk, Jacques Godfroid, Karen K. Sørensen, Eva Breines, Ellinor Hareide, Julien Thiry, Espen Rimstad, Etienne Thiry, and Morten Tryland

Section of Arctic Veterinary Medicine, Department of Food Safety and Infection Biology, The Norwegian School of Veterinary Science, Stakkevollveien 23, NO–9010 Tromsø, Norway; Regional Laboratory Tromsø, National Veterinary Institute, Stakkevollveien 23, NO-9010 Tromsø, Norway; Department of Cell Biology and Histology, Institute of Medical Biology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Tromsø, Norway; Virology and Viral Diseases, Department of Infectious and Parasitic Diseases, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Liège, 4000 Liège, Belgium; Section of Microbiology, Immunology and Parasitology, Department of Food Safety and Infection Biology, The Norwegian School of Veterinary Science, P.O. Box 8146, NO – 0033 Oslo, Norway

^* To whom correspondence should be addressed. Email: carlos.neves{at}veths.no.

Cervid herpesvirus 2 (CvHV2) has been isolated from reindeer (Rangifer tarandus tarandus) and serological data indicate that this virus is endemic in reindeer in Fennoscandia, Alaska, Canada and Greenland. CvHV2 has been described as a cause of subclinical genital infections in reindeer, but little information on primary infections exists. In this study six seronegative and presumably pregnant reindeer were allocated to one of two groups: two animals were inoculated with CvHV2 intratracheally and two animals intravaginally, with one control animal in each group receiving sterile water. Mild hyperthermia and serous discharges from the vagina and nose were observed. No abortions were recorded, but one calf died shortly after birth. Inoculated animals seroconverted and had neutralizing antibodies after days 7–10 p.i. CvHV2 was detected by PCR in nasal and vaginal swabs in both groups, but could only be isolated from nasal swabs in the respiratory group and from vaginal swabs in the genital group. CvHV2 was detected by PCR in various organs and tissues post mortem. In control animals, the virus could not be isolated in spite of PCR-positive nasal and vaginal swab samples and some degree of positive immunstaining. One of the animals that were inoculated intratracheally developed a hemorrhagic, necrotizing bronchopneumonia, which was CvHV2 positive by PCR and immunohistochemistry. We conclude that CvHV2 can cause systemic infection, that both genital and respiratory inoculations can lead to virus shedding, and that the virus can infect the fetus in utero.