Evidence that Cache Valley virus induces congenital malformations in sheep. Academic Article uri icon

abstract

  • An outbreak of congenital abnormalities occurred in sheep at San Angelo, Texas, between December 1986 and February 1987. Of 360 lambs born, 19.2% had arthrogryposis or other musculo-skeletal problems and hydranencephaly (AGH), and the total neonatal loss was 25.6%. In 1987, all ewes that were tested with AGH lambs had antibody to Cache Valley virus (CVV), whereas 62% of the ewes with normal lambs had CVV-specific antibody. Pre-colostral serum samples from AGH lambs had neutralizing antibody to CVV. An increase in prevalence of CVV-specific antibody, from 5% during the spring of 1986 to 63.4% during the winter of 1987, occurred during a time that included the gestation of these affected lambs, as well as a period of increased rainfall. The isolation of a CVV-related strain from a sentinel sheep in October 1987 confirmed the continued presence of this virus in the pasture where this outbreak occurred and provided a recent field strain for future studies.

published proceedings

  • Vet Microbiol

altmetric score

  • 3

author list (cited authors)

  • Chung, S. I., Livingston, C. W., Edwards, J. F., Crandell, R. W., Shope, R. E., Shelton, M. J., & Collisson, E. W.

citation count

  • 49

complete list of authors

  • Chung, SI||Livingston, CW||Edwards, JF||Crandell, RW||Shope, RE||Shelton, MJ||Collisson, EW

publication date

  • February 1990