Disseminated Bovine viral diarrhea virus in a persistently infected alpaca (Vicugna pacos) cria

• Published in: Journal of veterinary diagnostic investigation Vol. 21; no. 1; pp. 145 - 148
• Main Authors: Byers, Stacey R, Snekvik, Kevin R, Righter, Daniel J, Evermann, James F, Bradway, Daniel S, Parish, Steven M, Barrington, George M
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States 2009
• Subjects: alpacas; animal diseases; Animals; Bovine viral diarrhea virus; Camelids, New World; case studies; Diarrhea Viruses, Bovine Viral - isolation & purification; digestive tract; emerging diseases; hosts; immunohistochemistry; kidneys; Male; pathogen identification; persistent infections; Pestivirus Infections - veterinary; Pestivirus Infections - virology; polymerase chain reaction; prostate gland; reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction; salivary glands; Salivary Glands - virology; serodiagnosis; skin; testes; Testis - virology; Thymus Gland - virology; vertebrate viruses; virus isolation; young animals
• ISSN: 1040-6387; 1943-4936
• DOI: 10.1177/104063870902100125

Bovine viral diarrhea virus (BVDV) is an emerging infectious pathogen of concern to the alpaca industry. A 4-month-old, intact, male alpaca cria was diagnosed as persistently infected with BVDV on the basis of repeated positive antemortem polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and virus isolation (VI) assays and negative serologic titers to BVDV. Immunohistochemistry, real-time reverse transcription PCR, and VI performed on tissues collected at necropsy demonstrated disseminated BVDV-1b infection. Virus was detected in multiple tissues, including parotid salivary gland, testes, prostate, kidneys, skin, and gastrointestinal tract. Demonstration of BVDV in previously unreported tissues suggests additional potential routes of BVDV transmission in alpacas.