Detecção do vírus da diarreia viral bovina em carrapatos Rhipicephalus (Boophilus) microplus alimentados e, bovino persistentemente infectado

RESUMO

Background:       Bovine viral diarrhea virus (BVDV) is one of the main agents that cause economical losses in cattle worldwide. Congenitally infected calves that are born persistently infected (PI) to BVDV are the main sources of infection to susceptible cattle. Direct contact is the most important form of transmission, but indirect contact can also spread BVDV, not only inside herds, but also between them. Transmission of BVDV by haematophagous insects has been proven experimentally, but the role of ticks in the transmission of BVDV has never been investigated. Ticks can heavily infest cattle raised in tropical areas and Rhipicephalus (Boophilus) microplus is the most important among them. The present experiment was carried out to investigate the role of R. microplus ticks in the transmission of BVDV, experimentally infecting PI calf with ticks. Material, Methods and Results: Three calves were used in the experiment one PI calf was identified from a natural outbreak; a second animal was infested with the progeny of a tick fed on the PI calf and the third was kept as a negative control, infested with negative ticks. Viral RNA investigation was performed by reverse transcription followed by polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) from the sera of the calves and from ticks (adult females, eggs and larvae that were the progeny of the experimentally contaminated adult females and f