Pathogenesis of bovine viral diarrhoea-mucosal disease (BVD-MD) virus infection in tracheal organ cultures

Bovine foetal tracheal organ cultures were infected with two strains of BVD-MD virus and observed for 35 days. The effect of the virus was assessed by observing ciliary activity in gross tissue explants and histological changes in haematoxylin and eosin stained sections. Decrease in ciliary activity and mild epithelial degeneration were first observed at 4 days post infection (p.i.), the epithelial degeneration progressing to complete destruction by day 35 p.i. Viral titres in extracellular fluids rose sharply from day 4 p.i., reached peak levels (10⁵ TCID₅₀/ml) between 15 and 18 days p.i., and eventually declined but persisted at lower titres up to day 35 p.i., when observations were terminated.