The ability of group III viruses associated with infertility in cattle in South Africa to infect the respiratory tract

Abstract

The pathogenicity to the respiratory tract of seven virus isolates associated with genital disease in cattle was investigated. It was shown that (1) the febrile response was very similar to that encountered after intra-nasal instillation of the IPV virus; (2) virus was present in the nasal secretions and the saliva for eight days after infection, and (3) all the infected animals showed antibodies in their convalescent sera collected 32 days after virus instillation. The possible role of nasal infection as a means of transmission of the genital disease encountered in South Africa, is discussed.