LAUSR

Bovine herpesvirus type-1 (BoHV-1) is an important viral pathogen and the leading cause of multisystemic disorders among large ruminants (3, 16). BoHV-1 is an enveloped, double-stranded DNA virus, member of the genus Varicellovirus of the subfamily Alphaherpesvirinae in the family Herpesviridae (10, 18). BoHV-1 causes a variety of clinical manifestations known as infectious bovine rhinotracheitis (IBR), infectious pustular vulvovaginitis (IPV), and infectious balanoposthitis (IBP) in cattle and buffalos (12). BoHV-1 resembles other herpesviruses in its ability to cause a latent infection in which the virus enters neurons after an acute infection and establishes latency by integrating with cellular DNA. The latent virus can be reactivated under appropriate conditions, e.g. stressful factors or application of corticosteroid. Latently infected animals become lifelong virus carriers and can be regarded as a source of BoHV-1 because they shed the virus intermittently (9). BoHV-1 is also one of important pathogens that initiate bovine respiratory disease complex (BRDC) by causing immune suppression that allows secondary infection by bacteria, which leads to respiratory disorders characterized by severe rhinitis, conjunctivitis, pneumonia, and death (3). Furthermore, BoHV-1 is reported as a leading cause of abortions and fetal deaths in some cases. BoHV-1 infection also has a negative impact on the livestock industry because it causes a severe and prolonged decrease in milk yield and the fertility rate (13). This study is a molecular-based report on the isolation of BoHV-1 strains, newly identified in Turkey, from two heifers suspected of infection by some pathogens of the bovine respiratory disease complex (BRDC). One of them died from respiratory disease, whereas the other showed signs of an illness of the upper respiratory tract. Molecular identification and phylogeny of bovine herpesvirus-1 (BoHV-1) from cattle associated with respiratory disorders and death in Turkey