Transplacental transmission of bovine adenoviruses

Type 1 bovine adenovirus has been isolated from cell cultures prepared from the kidneys of a 7-month-old bovine fetus, taken from a slaughterhouse, and types 4, 6 and 8 from cell cultures prepared from the testicles of four neonatal, precolostral calves. Sera of these pre-colostral calves possessed virus-neutralizing antibodies in titers of 1:4–1:16. Bovine adenoviruses of types 4 and 8 have also been isolated from two bovine fetuses aborted from an unknown cause. Relying upon these findings the possible vertical (transplacental) transmission of bovine adenoviruses is presumed. Though a cause-and-effect relationship between abortion and adenovirus infection could not be detected, it is probable that infection during fetal development cannot be indifferent to the fetus or the neonatal calf.