Anlmal,Plant and Flsherles Quarantine and Inspection Agency

One research paper was published in May this year: Kor J Vet Res 47(2), 163-167, 2007 Title: "prevalence for persistent infection with bovine viral diarrhea virus in Korean native calves" Abstract: Bovine viral diarrhea (BVD) is a very important disease in cattle industry with a worldwide distribution. Detection and elimination of persistently infected calves with bovine viral diarrhea virus (BVDV) was valuable strategy for BVD because those calves were main source for transmission. We surveyed persistent infection with BVDV by immunohistochemistry (IHC) and reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) using skin and whole blood. Five hundred thirty nine korean native calves were tested. Formalin-fixed skin biopsy samples were immunohistochemically stained and their results were compared to those of PCR using whole blood. Four calves (0.74%) were positive for BVDV antigen for both tests. Those calves remained positive for follow-up by IHC and RT-PCR test. Therefore they were identifiedas persistently infected with BVDV. We confirmed that immunohistochemistry using skin biopsy samples was very useful tool to detect persistently infected calves with BVDV. As far as we know, this would be first report on persistent infection with BVDV in Korea.