Detection of ovine herpesvirus 2 major capsid gene transcripts as an indicator of virus replication in shedding sheep and clinically affected animals

The aim of this study was to identify tissues where ovine herpesvirus 2 (OvHV-2) replication occurs in vivo. A reverse-transcriptase PCR targeting the OvHV-2 major capsid protein gene (ORF 25) was developed and the presence of transcripts used as an indicator of virus replication in naturally infected sheep, and cattle and bison with sheep-associated malignant catarrhal fever (SA-MCF). ORF 25 transcripts were detected in 18 of 60 (30%) turbinate, trachea, and lung samples from five sheep experiencing a shedding episode; 12 of the 18 positive samples were turbinates. ORF 25 transcripts were not detected in any other tissue from the shedding sheep (n = 55). In contrast, 86 of 102 (84%) samples from clinically affected bovine and bison tissues, including brain, kidney, intestine, and bladder, had ORF 25 transcripts. The data strongly suggest that OvHV-2 replication is localized to the respiratory tract of shedding sheep, predominantly in the turbinate, while it occurs in virtually all tissues of cattle and bison with SA-MCF. These findings represent an important initial step in understanding viral pathogenesis, and in potentially establishing a system for OvHV-2 propagation in vitro.