J Vet Sci.  2011 Dec;12(4):347-352. 10.4142/jvs.2011.12.4.347.

Dynamics of Moraxella bovis infection and humoral immune response to bovine herpes virus type 1 during a natural outbreak of infectious bovine keratoconjunctivitis in beef calves

• Zbrun MV
• Zielinski
• Piscitelli HC
• Descarga C
• Urbani LA

• KMID: 1365018
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.4142/jvs.2011.12.4.347

Abstract

Infectious bovine keratoconjunctivitis (IBK) is an acute disease caused by Moraxella bovis (Mb). Several factors may predispose animals to an IBK outbreak; one commonly observed is infection with bovine herpes virus type 1 (BHV-1). The aim of this study was to investigate the dynamics of BHV-1 virus infection and its relation with clinical cases of IBK in weaned calves from a beef herd with a high prevalence of lesions caused by Mb. Sampling was carried out in six stages and included conjunctival swabs for isolating Mb as well as blood samples for identifying antibodies specific for BHV-1. A score for IBK lesions after observing each eye was determined. The findings of this study showed a high prevalence of BHV-1 virus infection (100% of animals were infected at the end of the trial); 67% of animals were culture-positive for Mb, but low rates of clinical IBK (19% of calves affected) were detected at the end of the trial. These results suggest that infection with BHV-1 did not predispose these animals to IBK, and that Mb infection produced clinical and subclinical disease in the absence of BHV-1 co-infection.

Keyword

bovine herpes virus-1; bovine keratoconjunctivitis; predisposing factor

MeSH Terms

Animals
Antibodies, Viral/blood
Cattle
Disease Outbreaks/*veterinary
Herpesvirus 1, Bovine/*immunology
Immunity, Humoral
Keratoconjunctivitis, Infectious/complications/immunology/*microbiology/pathology
*Moraxella (Moraxella) bovis
Moraxellaceae Infections/immunology/*veterinary/virology

Figure

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  Fig. 1 Percentage of animals with isolation of Moraxella bovis (Mb), with IBK lesions and clinical IBK (IBK+).

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  Fig. 2 Relationship among the percentage of animals affected by Mb infection, IBK lesions, clinical disease. (A) Arrows indicate the maximum number of affected animals with Mb isolations or IBK lesions, and positivity for anti-infectious bovine rhinotracheitis antibody. (B) Arrow indicates when the detection of anti-BHV-1 antibodies began to increase during the experimental trial.

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  Fig. 3 Types and distribution of ocular lesions during this study. (A) Percentage of animals affected by each type of lesions. (B) Percentage of animals affected by each type of lesions during the six sampling periods.

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  Fig. 4 Relationship between percentage of animals with isolation of Mb. IBK lesions and clinical IBK (IBK+). Arrow indicates when anti-BHV-1 antibodies began to increase in contrast with the reduction in the percentage of animals with isolation of Mb and animals IBK+.

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