ABSTRACT
Detection of rotavirus in calves and cows from a dairy of the Metropolitan Region

Patricio Berríos E.1, Carlos Pedraza G.2, Luis Moraga B.1 María Celedón V.1 y Marcos Macchiavello C.1
 

Faecal samples from 84 adult cows and 38 calves (0 - 6 months of age) were analysed by the ELISA test. Faeces from 6 calves and 3 cows were positive. Electronic microscopy observations of the positive samples, showed the presence of icosahedric narticles of 65 nm, which resembled rotavirus. In addition, other particles of 35 nm, resembling astrovirus or calicivirus, were observed. Using polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis, only one out of five positive samples to ELISA showed the characteristic banding oattern of rotavirus RNA. Faecal materials, inoculated in MDB-K celi cultures, were negative to other viruses. The presence of rotavirus in calves agree with previous reports published in Chile; the detection of rotavirus in adult cows, indicates that they can act as carriers of the virus and as a probable source of infection to their offsprings or other calves.

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1 Facultad de Ciencias yeterinarias y Pecuarias, U. de Chile. Casilla 2, Correo 15, Santiago, Chile.
2 Estación Experimental La Platina (INIA), Casilla 439, Correo 3, Santiago, Chile.