ISOLATION OF AINO-VIRUS FROM AN ABORTED BOVINE FETUS

A male fetus of gestation day 187 was aborted from a Holstein-Friesian cow in an epizootic of the Aino virus (AINOV) in September 1995. Neut ralizing antibody titers against AINOV were 1:128, 1:16 and 1:64 in th e dam serum, fetal ascites and cerebrospinal fluid, respectively. A 10 % brain suspension of the aborted fetus was prepared immediately after autopsy, rinsed three times and sonicated before centrifugation. The supernatant was then inoculated into HmLu-1 cell cultures. A cytopathi c effect was noted on post-inoculation day 7. The isolated virus was i dentified as the AINOV based on the physicochemical properties and cro ss neutralization test. This is the first report on the isolation of A INOV from an aborted bovine fetus.