''Simplexvirus bovinealpha2'', also known as ''Bovine alphaherpesvirus 2'' (BoHV2) is a

virus A virus is a submicroscopic infectious agent that replicates only inside the living Cell (biology), cells of an organism. Viruses infect all life forms, from animals and plants to microorganisms, including bacteria and archaea. Viruses are ...

of the family ''

Herpesviridae ''Orthoherpesviridae'', previously named and more widely known as ''Herpesviridae'', is a large family of DNA viruses that cause infections and certain diseases in animals, including humans. The members of this family are commonly known as herp ...

''. It causes two diseases in

cattle Cattle (''Bos taurus'') are large, domesticated, bovid ungulates widely kept as livestock. They are prominent modern members of the subfamily Bovinae and the most widespread species of the genus '' Bos''. Mature female cattle are calle ...

, bovine mammillitis and pseudo-lumpy skin disease.

Pathology

Pseudo-lumpy skin disease was originally discovered in

South Africa South Africa, officially the Republic of South Africa (RSA), is the Southern Africa, southernmost country in Africa. Its Provinces of South Africa, nine provinces are bounded to the south by of coastline that stretches along the Atlantic O ...

where a similar but more serious disease caused by a

poxvirus ''Poxviridae'' is a family of double-stranded DNA viruses. Vertebrates and arthropods serve as natural hosts. The family contains 22 genera that are assigned to two subfamilies: ''Chordopoxvirinae'' and ''Entomopoxvirinae''. ''Entomopoxvirinae'' ...

lumpy skin disease Lumpy skin disease (LSD) is an infectious disease in cattle caused by Lumpy skin disease virus of the family ''Poxviridae'', also known as Neethling virus. The disease is characterized by fever, enlarged superficial lymph nodes, and multiple nod ...

, is also prevalent. Symptoms include fever and skin nodules on the face, back, and

perineum The perineum (: perineums or perinea) in placentalia, placental mammals is the space between the anus and the genitals. The human perineum is between the anus and scrotum in the male or between the anus and vulva in the female. The perineum is ...

. The disease heals within a few weeks. Bovine mammillitis is characterized by lesions restricted to the

teat A teat is the projection from the mammary glands of mammals from which milk flows or is ejected for the purpose of feeding young. In many mammals, the teat projects from the udder. The number of teats varies by mammalian species and often corr ...

s and

udder An udder is an organ formed of two or four mammary glands on the females of dairy animals and ruminants such as cattle, goats, and sheep. An udder is equivalent to the breast in primates, elephantine pachyderms and other mammals. The udder is ...

. BoHV-2 probably spreads through an

arthropod Arthropods ( ) are invertebrates in the phylum Arthropoda. They possess an arthropod exoskeleton, exoskeleton with a cuticle made of chitin, often Mineralization (biology), mineralised with calcium carbonate, a body with differentiated (Metam ...

vector Vector most often refers to: * Euclidean vector, a quantity with a magnitude and a direction * Disease vector, an agent that carries and transmits an infectious pathogen into another living organism Vector may also refer to: Mathematics a ...

, but can also be spread through milkers and

milking machine Milking is the act of removing milk from the mammary glands of cattle, water buffalo, humans, goats, sheep, and, more rarely, camels, horses, and donkeys. Milking may be done by hand or by machine, and requires the animal to be currently or rec ...

s. A review publication from 2011 presents a series of controversial but scientifically based conclusions concerning the pathogenesis and epidemiology of the infection, among these that spread among cattle is preferably by the respiratory route, and that skin lesions result from viremic spread to epidermal foci and inflammation due to complement activation by the classical pathway at sites of virus propagation after formation of early antibody to BoHV2. Lesions may be aggravated by low skin temperature (e.g. in edematic or hairless skin areas) causing reduced blood circulation and hampered removal of cell-toxic inflammatory substances.

Morphology

BoHV2 is similar in structure to human

herpes simplex virus Herpes simplex virus 1 and 2 (HSV-1 and HSV-2) are two members of the Herpesviridae#Human herpesvirus types, human ''Herpesviridae'' family, a set of viruses that produce Viral disease, viral infections in the majority of humans. Both HSV-1 a ...

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Bovine Alphaherpesvirus 2 Herpes 2 Simplexviruses Animal viral diseases