Reactivation in calves ofBovid herpesvirus 2 latent infection

Abstract
Seven calves which had recovered from an experimentally induced infection withBovid herpesvirus 2 (BHV2) were subjected to a course of dexamethasone (DMS) treatment six months later. BHV2 was recovered from nasal swabs obtained from each calf 11 days after the start of DMS treatment. The virus was also isolated from the skin, nervous system tissue and lymph nodes of a calf killed 11 days after the start of DMS treatment in which a concurrent piroplasma infection was also, unexpectedly, discovered. It is suggested that the skin and nervous system are possible anatomical sites for the latency of BHV2 in the host.