Outbreaks of Vesicular stomatitis Alagoas virus in horses and cattle in northeastern Brazil

Abstract

The current article describes outbreaks of vesicular stomatitis (VS) in horses and cattle in Paraiba and Rio Grande do Norte states, northeastern Brazil, between June and August 2013. The reported cases affected 15–20 horses and 6 cattle distributed over 6 small farms in 4 municipalities, but additional data indicated the involvement of a large number of animals on several farms. The disease was characterized by blisters; eruptive lesions in coronary bands, lips, mouth, and muzzle; salivation; claudication and loss of condition. Swollen lower limbs and lips, and ulcerated and erosive areas in the lips and muzzle were observed in some horses. A necrotizing vesiculopustular dermatitis and stomatitis was observed histologically. Vesicular stomatitis virus was isolated from the vesicular fluid of a horse lesion and shown to be serologically related to the VS Indiana serogroup (VSIV) by virus neutralization. Convalescent sera of affected horses and cattle, and from healthy contacts, harbored high levels of neutralizing antibodies against the isolated virus (named VSIV-3 2013SaoBento/ParaibaE). Genomic sequences of VSIV subtype 3 ( Vesicular stomatitis Alagoas virus) were amplified by reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction out of clinical specimens from a cow and a horse from different farms. Nucleotide sequencing and phylogenetic analysis of the phosphoprotein gene indicated that the 2 isolates were derived from the same virus and clustered them in VSIV-3, along with VS viruses identified in southeastern and northeastern Brazil in the last decades. Thus, the present report demonstrates the circulation of VSIV-3 in northeastern Brazil and urges for more effective diagnosis and surveillance.

Antibodies against vesicular stomatitis virus in horses from southern, midwestern and northeastern Brazilian States

“…The present study used 3,626 serum samples from horses of three (CARGNELUTTI et al, 2014). After complement inactivation, serum samples were diluted 1:40 and incubated with 400-500 TCID 50 of the isolate VSIV-3 2013 SaoBento/ParaibaE for 1h at 37°C, followed by addition of a suspension of Vero cells and incubation at 37°C with 5% CO 2 .…”

“…Serogroup VSIV contains three subtypes: Indiana I (VSIV-1-classical strains), Indiana II (VSIV-2 Cocal and Argentina) and Indiana III (VSIV-3 -Alagoas). Subtypes VSIV-2 and VSIV-3 have been occasionally isolated in Brazil, being the serotype VSIV-3 more restricted to the northeastern States (CARGNELUTTI et al, 2014). According to the ICTV (2014), there are the least 20 additional serotypes to be characterizated.…”

“…In the last years, several outbreaks of VS have been reported in midwestern and northeastern (NE) Brazilian States (ROSENDO et al, 2013;CARGNELUTTI et al, 2014). Reports from the PANAFTOSA (2015) have also indicated viral activity in NE states in the last years.…”

“…Reports from the PANAFTOSA (2015) have also indicated viral activity in NE states in the last years. In 2013, outbreaks of VS were reported in horses and cattle in states of Paraiba and Rio Grande do Norte, with the identification of VSIV-3 (CARGNELUTTI et al, 2014).…”

Detection of pseudocowpox virus in water buffalo (Bubalus bubalis) with vesicular disease in the state of São Paulo, Brazil, in 2016

“…2005, but other viruses such as OPV, VSV and PPV are still present in cattle (Cargnelutti et al 2014;Abrahão et al 2015), swine (Medaglia et al 2011) and buffalo (Franco-Luiz et al 2016). Collected samples are subjected to thorough investigations to better understand the causes of clinical signs.…”