Non-suppurative encephalitis is one of the most frequent pathological diagnosis in cattle with neurological disease, but there is a gap in the knowledge on disease-associated pathogens. In order to identify viruses that are associated with non-suppurative encephalitis in cattle, we used a viral metagenomics approach on a sample set of 16 neurologically-diseased cows. We detected six virus candidates: parainfluenza virus 5 (PIV-5), bovine astrovirus CH13/NeuroS1 (BoAstV-CH13/NeuroS1), bovine polyomavirus 2 (BPyV-2 SF), ovine herpesvirus 2 (OvHV-2), bovine herpesvirus 6 (BHV-6) and a novel bovine betaretrovirus termed BoRV-CH15. In a case-control study using PCR, BoAstV-CH13 (p=0.046), BoPV-2 SF (p=0.005) and BoHV-6 (p=4.3E-05) were statistically associated with the disease. These data expand our knowledge on encephalitis-associated pathogens in cattle and point to the value of NGS in resolving complex infection scenarios in a clinical disease setting.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.