Induction of mucosal disease in cattle persistently infected with noncytopathic bovine viral diarrhea-mucosal disease virus by superinfection with cytopathic bovine viral diarrhea-mucosal disease virus.

Three head of cattle persistently infected with noncytopathic bovine viral diarrhea-mucosal disease virus (ncBVD-MDV) were superinfected naturally or experimentally with cytopathic bovine viral diarrhea-mucosal disease virus (cBVD-MDV). In the naturally superinfected case, one animal manifested pyrexia and severe diarrhea, and died without developing antibodies to cBVD-MDV. However, another animal survived with only continual slight anorexia and pyrexia, and developed strong resistance to the superinfected strain. In the experimental cases, induction of MD was unsuccessful in two persistently infected cattle when superinfected with cBVD-MDV antigenically heterologous for persistently infected ncBVD-MDV. They also developed antibodies to the cBVD-MDV strain with which they had been infected. After 6 months, these cattle were infected again with a cBVD-MDV strain different from that used in the previous experiment. One animal infected with this strain, which was antigenically homologous to the persistently infected strain, died after developing MD symptoms without developing antibodies to the infecting strain. It is suggested that the antigenic relationship between the persistent ncBVD-MDV and the superinfected cBVD-MDV was an important factor in developing MD.