Persistent Bovine Viral Diarrhea Virus Infection in Domestic and Wild Small Ruminants and Camelids Including the Mountain Goat (Oreamnos americanus)

Abstract

Bovine viral diarrhea virus (BVDV) is a pestivirus best known for causing a variety of disease syndromes in cattle, including gastrointestinal disease, reproductive insufficiency, immunosuppression, mucosal disease, and hemorrhagic syndrome. The virus can be spread by transiently infected individuals and by persistently infected animals that may be asymptomatic while shedding large amounts of virus throughout their lifetime. BVDV has been reported in over 40 domestic and free-ranging species, and persistent infection has been described in eight of those species: white-tailed deer, mule deer, eland, mousedeer, mountain goats, alpacas, sheep, and domestic swine. This paper reviews the various aspects of BVDV transmission, disease syndromes, diagnosis, control, and prevention, as well as examines BVDV infection in domestic and wild small ruminants and camelids including mountain goats (Oreamnos americanus).

Keywords: bovine viral diarrhea virus; goats; mountain goats (Oreamnos americanus); persistent infection; small ruminants; wildlife diseases.

Figure 1

Schematic depicting the three population groupings for pestivirus infections. (A) Represents the circulation of the virus infection within three distinct main host clusters: wildlife, domestic livestock, and camelids. (B) Represents the documented spread of virus between these clusters, and the potential for transmission between the camelid cluster and wildlife cluster (modified from Evermann, 2006).