REPLICATION OF BOVINE HERPESVIRUS TYPE-4 IN HUMAN-CELLS IN-VITRO

A reference strain (Movar 33/63) of bovine herpesvirus type 4 (BHV-4) was inoculated into 14 different human cell lines and five primary cel l cultures representing various human tissues. BHV-4 replicated in two embryonic lung fell lines, MRC-5 and Wistar-38, and in a giant-cell g lioblastoma cell culture. Cytopathic effect and intranuclear inclusion bodies were observed in these cells. PCR detected a 10,000-times-high er level of BHV-4 DNA. Titration of the supernatant indicated a 100-fo ld increase of infections particles. Since this is the first bovine (h uman herpesvirus 8 and Epstein-Barr virus related) herpesvirus which r eplicates on human cells in vitro, the danger of possible human BHV-4 infection should not be ignored.