Clinical response and immunomodulation following experimental challenge of calves with type 2 noncytopathogenic bovine viral diarrhea virus

Eight calves between 16 and 18 weeks of age that were seronegative to bovine viral diarrhea virus (BVDV), bovine leucosis virus and bovine immunodeficiency-like virus were infected (day 0) intranasally with the type 2 noncytopathogenic Canadian 24515 field isolate of BVDV in order to evaluate the effect of BVDV infection on certain clinical, hematological and immunological parameters. All virus-exposed animals developed fever and showed a significant (P < 0.05, 0.01 or 0.001) drop in the number of circulating leucocytes (neutrophils, lymphocytes and monocytes) by day 3 or 5 post-exposure (PE), which continued to the end of the experiment at day 12 PE. BVDV was consistently isolated from the peripheral blood buffy coat cells from day 5 PE, and also from selected tissues (spleen, thymus, mesenteric and submaxillary lymph nodes, small intestine, lungs and thyroid gland) that were collected at the time of euthanasia of the animals at day 12 PE. Diminished significant (P < 0.05) percentages of peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) expressing at their surface either B7 and MHC II molecules were observed in virus-exposed calves at days 7, 10 and/or 12 PE, when compared to virus-nonexposed control calves (n = 5). However, no changes in the percentages of PBMCs expressing either B4 or MHC I molecules were observed throughout the experiment. Finally, a significant (P < 0.05 or 0.01) enhanced phagocytic capability of the PBMCs, as analyzed by flow cytometry, was observed in virus-exposed animals at days 3, 5, 7, 10 and 12 PE, when compared to control calves. These results demonstrated the virulence of the 24515 isolate of BVDV in 4 to 4.5 month-old calves, and suggest that type 2 BVDV infection in calves is associated with dysregulation of certain immunological functions.