Occurrence of Bovine Viral Diarrhea (BVDV) and Bovine Infectious Rhinotracheitis (IBR) virus infections in buffaloes in Pernambuco state - Brazil

ABSTRACT

Background: Buffaloes are susceptible to viral infections, often associated with pathologies of importance in cattle breeding.Among the numerous infectious diseases, Bovine Viral Diarrhea (BVDV) and Bovine Infectious Rhinotracheitis (IBR) havea negative impact on buffalo creations. This study aimed to detect the occurrence of bovine viral diarrhea virus (BVDV)and infectious bovine rhinotracheitis (IBR) virus infections in buffaloes in Pernambuco state, Brazil.Materials, Methods & Results: For this purpose, serum samples were obtained from 244 buffaloes on eight properties distributedin six municipalities. The search for anti-BVDV and -bovine herpesvirus type-1 (BoHV-1) antibodies was performedusing the virus neutralization technique. To analyze the association between the serological status of BoHV-1 infection andaspects of hygienic-sanitary and reproductive management, an investigative questionnaire with objective questions wasused. In total, 97.9% (239/244) of buffaloes had anti-BVDV antibodies and 56.1% (137/244) had anti-BoHV-1 antibodies.Co-infection was observed in 55.3% (135/244) of buffaloes. The distribution of antibody occurrence in buffaloes byproperties ranged from 90.5% to 100.0% for BVDV and from 4.8% to 100% for BoHV-1. It was not possible to performan association analysis for BVDV infection; however, in that for BoHV-1 infection, the following variables exhibited asignificant association an extensive breeding system (P < 0.001), open herd (P = 0.029), lack of reproductive rest (P =0.029), natural mating in females with reproductive disorders (P < 0.001), exploration type (P = 0.0014), presence of wildanimals (P < 0.001), and lack of cleaning facilities (P = 0.008).Discussion: The occurrence of anti-BVDV antibodies in this study was 97.9% this was higher than those reported in othercountry’s regions. The results of the present study demonstrate a high occurrence of anti-BVDV antibodies in [...]