Bovine herpesvirus meningoencephalitis in the State of Tocantins, Brazil

• Main Author: Pinheiro, Ilgner Aimar Bezerra
• Publication Date: 2024
• Other Authors: Dias, Bianca Pereira, Ferreira, Jardel Martins, dos Santos, Alessandro José Ferreira, Moron, Sandro Estevan, Silva, Gilzelle Maria da Luz, de Lima, Liana Bezerra Dias, de Cordova, Fabiano Mendes
• Format: Article
• Language: eng
• Source: Brazilian Journal of Veterinary Medicine
• Download full: https://bjvm.org.br/BJVM/article/view/1322
• topic: neuropathy, necrotizing meningoencephalitis, herpetic encephalitis, BoHV, cattle.; neuropatia, meningoencefalite necrosante, encefalite herpética, BoHV, bovinos.

Three outbreaks of herpesvirus meningoencephalitis in cattle have been reported in three municipalities in the northern region of the State of Tocantins, Brazil. In one outbreak, 41 predominantly young bovines were affected, with 2–3 deaths in some cases. The animals showed neurological signs of incoordination, blindness, and recumbency, with death occurring within approximately 4–5 d. At necropsy, hyperemia and leptomeningeal hemorrhages were observed in the brain. Histology revealed more intense lesions in the rostral portions of the brain, mainly affecting the frontoparietal cerebral cortex, with nonsuppurative encephalitis and meningitis, glial nodules, neuronophagia, and eosinophilic intranuclear inclusion bodies in the astrocytes and neurons. This study shows the presence of bovine herpesvirus in Tocantins, probably the highly neurotropic type 5 strain, and emphasizes its importance in the differential diagnosis of bovine neuropathies.