Bovine enterovirus BEV-T64. Biological characteristics. Experimental genital and digestive tract infection

A virus isolated from a healthy cow was tested for biological characteristics. It was resistant to lipid solvents, stable at pH 3 and to 50 °C for 1 hr. and showed a remarkable stability during storage at various temperature levels. The virus replicated and caused deaths in chicken embryos, whereas no pathogenicity for mice was recorded. Chickens immunized developed high-levels of humoral antibodies to the virus. A sedimentation constant between 140 and 150 S was recorded. The agent possesses the characteristics of an enterovirus and is designated BEV-T64.Limited studies on experimental infections in heifers indicated that the animal genitally infected developed higher levels of circulating antibodies than those infected intranasally or orally (by contact). The shedding of virus from the genital tract terminated after 10 days, whereas virus was reisolated for as long as 44 and 70 days in cases of alimentary canal infection. No clinical signs of disease could be observed.