Bovine coronavirus (BCV[2] or BCoV[3]) is a coronavirus which is a member of the species Betacoronavirus 1.[4][5] The infecting virus is an enveloped, positive-sense, single-stranded RNA virus which enters its host cell by binding to the N-acetyl-9-O-acetylneuraminic acid receptor.[6][7] Infection causes calf enteritis and contributes to the enzootic pneumonia complex in calves. It can also cause winter dysentery in adult cattle. It can infect both domestic and wild ruminants and has a worldwide distribution. Transmission is horizontal, via oro-fecal or respiratory routes.[citation needed] Like other coronaviruses from genus Betacoronavirus, subgenus Embecovirus, it has a surface protein called hemagglutinin esterase (HE) in addition to the four structural proteins shared by all coronaviruses (spike, membrane, nucleocapsid, and envelope proteins).[5][4]

Bovine coronavirus
Virus classification Edit this classification
(unranked): Virus
Realm: Riboviria
Kingdom: Orthornavirae
Phylum: Pisuviricota
Class: Pisoniviricetes
Order: Nidovirales
Family: Coronaviridae
Genus: Betacoronavirus
Subgenus: Embecovirus
Species:
Virus:
Bovine coronavirus
Strains[1]

Virology

edit

BCoV has 95% similarity with human coronavirus OC43 and 93% to porcine hemagglutinating encephalomyelitis virus. According to a 2006 study,[8] those three strains may have diverged during the 19th century, while all circulating BCoV lineages had a most recent common ancestor around 1940s, with all earlier bovine lineages extinct.

An earlier article by the same authors compared BCoV and HCoV-OC43, and several methods yielded most probable divergence dates around 1890, leading authors to speculate that an introduction of the former strain to the human population might have caused the 1889–1890 flu pandemic.[9]

Clinical signs and diagnosis

edit

Infection normally occurs in calves between the ages of one week and three months. Gastrointestinal signs include profuse diarrhea, dehydration, depression, reduced weight gain and anorexia. Respiratory infection in the calf produces a serous to purulent nasal discharge. Clinical signs may worsen with secondary bacteria infection.

Infection in adults is normally subclinical, the exception being with winter dysentery, which affects housed cattle over the winter months. Clinical signs include profuse diarrhea and a significant drop in milk yield is seen in winter dysentery outbreaks.

A presumptive diagnosis can be made based on the history and clinical signs. Definitive diagnosis of an enteric coronavirus infection is achieved by performing electron microscopy or an ELISA on a faecal or tissue sample. In respiratory disease, diagnosis is confirmed by performing a direct fluorescent antibody test on nasal washes – which identifies the viral antigen.

The haemagglutination inhibition test can be used to establish the strain of coronavirus.

Treatment and control

edit

Animals should be treated symptomatically. The disease can be controlled by vaccinating the dam with a live vaccine (ATCvet code QI02) whilst she is pregnant as this provides antibodies to the virus in the colostrum. Additional management factors such as ensuring adequate colostrum intake in newborn calves, using appropriate hygiene methods and ventilation of housing reduce disease incidence.

References

edit
  1. ^ de Groot, R.J; et al. (2009). "ICTV 9th Report (2011) New Coronaviridae". International Committee on Taxonomy of Viruses (ICTV). Archived from the original on 23 January 2020. Retrieved 23 January 2020.
  2. ^ Fulton, Robert W.; Step, Douglas L.; Wahrmund, Jackie; Burge, Lurinda J.; Payton, Mark E.; Cook, Billy J.; Burken, Dirk; Richards, Chris J.; Confer, Anthony W. (2011). "Bovine coronavirus (BCV) infections in transported commingled beef cattle and sole-source ranch calves". Canadian Journal of Veterinary Research. 75 (3): 191–199. PMC 3122965. PMID 22210995.
  3. ^ de Mira Fernandes, Adeline; Brandão, Paulo E.; dos Santos Lima, Michele; de Souza Nunes Martins, Maira; da Silva, Thais G.; da Silva Cardoso Pinto, Vivian; de Paula, Larissa T.; Vicente, Marta Elisabete S.; Okuda, Liria H.; Pituco, Edviges M. (August 2018). "Genetic diversity of BCoV in Brazilian cattle herds". Veterinary Medicine and Science. 4 (3): 183–189. doi:10.1002/vms3.102. PMC 6090412. PMID 29687958.
  4. ^ a b "Taxonomy browser (Betacoronavirus 1)". www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov. Retrieved 2020-02-29.
  5. ^ a b Woo, Patrick C. Y.; Huang, Yi; Lau, Susanna K. P.; Yuen, Kwok-Yung (24 August 2010). "Coronavirus Genomics and Bioinformatics Analysis". Viruses. 2 (8): 1804–1820. doi:10.3390/v2081803. PMC 3185738. PMID 21994708.
  6. ^ Li, Fang (29 September 2016). "Structure, Function, and Evolution of Coronavirus Spike Proteins". Annual Review of Virology. 3 (1): 237–261. doi:10.1146/annurev-virology-110615-042301. PMC 5457962. PMID 27578435.
  7. ^ Fehr, Anthony R.; Perlman, Stanley (2015). "Coronaviruses: An Overview of Their Replication and Pathogenesis". Coronaviruses. Methods in Molecular Biology. Vol. 1282. pp. 1–23. doi:10.1007/978-1-4939-2438-7_1. ISBN 978-1-4939-2437-0. PMC 4369385. PMID 25720466.
  8. ^ Vijgen, Leen; Keyaerts, Els; Lemey, Philippe; Maes, Piet; Van Reeth, Kristien; Nauwynck, Hans; Pensaert, Maurice; Van Ranst, Marc (2006). "Evolutionary History of the Closely Related Group 2 Coronaviruses: Porcine Hemagglutinating Encephalomyelitis Virus, Bovine Coronavirus, and Human Coronavirus OC43". Journal of Virology. 80 (14): 7270–7274. doi:10.1128/JVI.02675-05. PMC 1489060. PMID 16809333.
  9. ^ Vijgen, Leen; Keyaerts, Els; Moës, Elien; Thoelen, Inge; Wollants, Elke; Lemey, Philippe; Vandamme, Anne-Mieke; Van Ranst, Marc (2005). "Complete Genomic Sequence of Human Coronavirus OC43: Molecular Clock Analysis Suggests a Relatively Recent Zoonotic Coronavirus Transmission Event". Journal of Virology. 79 (3): 1595–1604. doi:10.1128/JVI.79.3.1595-1604.2005. PMC 544107. PMID 15650185.
edit