No effects of noncytopathic bovine viral diarrhea virus type 2 on the reproductive tract of experimentally inoculated boars

Abstract

Bovine viral diarrhea virus (BVDV) infections in pigs may result in transient leukopenia, chronic gastroenteritis, septicemia, and hemorrhagic lesions. Both classical swine fever virus (CSF) and the atypical porcine pestivirus (APPV) are shed in the semen of infected boars. Because these viruses share conserved regions and present antigenic similarity, they may not be the only species belonging to the genus Pestivirus that can be shed in the semen of infected pigs. The objective of this study was to evaluate the testicular and epididymal changes, seminal parameters, and viral shedding in the reproductive tract of boars experimentally inoculated with noncytopathic BVDV-2. Six males were selected, and samples of blood, semen, and preputial swabs were collected every four days until the 52nd day after inoculation. The samples were tested for the presence of viral RNA by RT-PCR. An aliquot of whole blood was used to perform hematological analyses, which showed a significant reduction in monocyte counts and a significant increase in lymphocyte counts when comparing the pre- and postinoculation periods. The neutralizing antibody titers were determined by the virus neutralization test. None of the animals presented clinical signs or worsening of the seminal parameters that were evaluated. Moreover, BVDV-2 shedding by the reproductive route was not observed.