PESTIVIRUS AS CAUSATIVE AGENT OF BOVINE A ND OVINE ABORTION AND PERINATAL-MORTALITY IN SWITZERLAND

The causal involvement of bovine viral diarrhoea virus (BVDV) and bord er disease virus (BDV) infection in bovine and ovine abortion and peri natal mortality remain unclear. From 1992 until 1994, 213 bovine and 3 1 ovine foetuses as well as 36 calves and 25 lambs which had died peri nataly were investigated. Tissue samples were tested for the presence of pestiviruses and serum or fluid from the body cavities were analyse d for the presence of pestivirus antibodies. Detection of pestiviruses was performed by (i) cell culture isolation, (ii) antigen ELISA and ( iii) immunohistochemical staining for viral antigen. For antibody-test ing an indirect ELISA was used. In nine bovine foetuses and in two cal ves BVDV was isolated. Pestiviruses, most likely BDV were detected in one ovine foetus and three lambs. In 6% of the bovine and 11% of the o vine foetuses anti-pestivirus antibodies were detected. However, clini cal features and history of bovine cases did not show a correlation wi th the diagnostic results. In contrast, the presence of central nervou s system signs in neonatal lambs and the detection of BDV was correlat ed.