DEMONSTRATION OF ANTIBODIES TO HERPES-VIR US IN THE SERA OF RED DEER (CERVUS-ELAPHUS) IMPORTED INTO THE CZECH-REPUBLIC

Antibodies reacting in the virus-neutralisation test with bovine herpe svirus (BHV-1), the causative agent of infectious bovine rhinotracheit is (IBR), were demonstrated in a herd of red deer (Cervus elaphus) imp orted into the Czech Republic. Sera from the same collection were late r tested against a homologous virus, termed herpesvirus cervidae 1 (HV C-1), isolated from red deer in Scotland. Out of 165 imported animals, antibodies to BHV-1 were found in 68% and to HVC-1 in 71% of the anim als. Titres of antibodies to the two viruses ranged from 1 : 2 to 1 : 4 or were occasionally greater. As documented by several experimental studies carried out abroad, the HVC-1 virus, though antigenically clos ely related to BHV-1 virus, is not pathogenic to cattle under natural conditions. Antibodies which reacted with both BHV-1 and HVC-1 were al so demonstrated in 3 out of 7 roebucks randomly shot in this territory .