Border Disease-like Syndrome in Lambs: Antibodies to Hog Cholera and Bovine Viral Diarrhea Viruses

Abstract

SUMMARY Serum samples were collected from fetal and new-born lambs with a naturally occurring border disease-like syndrome and from lambs inoculated with brain-spleen suspensions obtained from affected lambs. Serum neutralization ( sn ) tests for antibodies to bovine viral diarrhea ( bvd ) and hog cholera viruses and the single radial immunodiffusion assay for quantitating immunoglobulin G (IgG) were performed. In precolostral samples, serum IgG content was less than 0.10 mg./ml. in control lambs and ranged from 0.10 to 1.1 mg./ml. in affected lambs; postcolostral values exceeded 7.5 mg./ml. Serum-neutralizing antibodies to hog cholera were detected in all of 13 samples examined, the titers ranging from 1:4 to 1:1,024. Serum-neutralizing antibodies to bvd were in 8 of 13 samples that had titers to hog cholera.