Pestiviruses

Abstract

Pestiviruses cause economically important diseases among domestic ruminants and pigs, but they may also infect a wide spectrum of wild species of even-toed ungulates (Artiodactyla). Bovine viral diarrhea virus (BVDV) and Border disease virus of sheep infect their hosts either transiently or persistently. Cellular and humoral immunotolerance to the infecting strain is a unique feature of persistent infection (PI) by ruminant pestiviruses. Persistence, caused by transplacental infection early in fetal development, depends on virally encoded interferon antagonists that inactivate the host's innate immune response to the virus without globally interfering with its function against other viruses. At epidemiological equilibrium, approximately 1-2% of animals are PI. Successful BVDV control programs show that removal of PI animals results in viral extinction in the host population. The nucleotide sequences of ruminant pestiviruses change little during persistent infection. Nevertheless, they display large heterogeneity, pointing to a long history of virus-host coevolution in which avirulent strains are more successful.

Influence of border disease virus (BDV) on serological surveillance within the bovine virus diarrhea (BVD) eradication program in Switzerland

“…day 40 to 120 of gestation may cause transplacental transmission of non-cytopathogenic (ncp) biotypes to the fetus leading to the birth of persistently infected (PI) calves. These animals shed virus life-long and, thereby, comprise the primary pestivirus reservoir [11–13]. Similarly, lambs persistently infected with border disease virus caused by transplacental transmission display alterations in their fleece and show tremor (hence there are also called ‘hairy shakers’), and they may succumb by a syndrome resembling Mucosal disease in cattle [14–17].…”

The European hare ( Lepus europaeus ) as a potential wild reservoir for ruminant pestiviruses

“…Flaviviridae) in free-ranging multi-species systems is far to be understood. Their capability to cross the species barrier and overcome the host immune response lead to diverse epidemiological situations that may be modulated by several factors such as climatology, hosts densities or interactions with other pathogens (Fernández-Sirera et al, 2012a;Schweizer and Peterhans, 2014).…”

Complete Genome Sequence of a Bovine Viral Diarrhea Virus Subgenotype 1e Strain, SLO/2407/2006, Isolated in Slovenia

“…Bovine viral diarrhea virus (BVDV) is an important pathogen of ruminants that causes acute and persistent infections throughout the world (1), which results in severe economic losses in the cattle industry (2). The two species BVDV-1 and BVDV-2 are part of the genus Pestivirus in the family Flaviviridae .…”