Detection of bovine herpesvirus-1 in peripheral blood mononuclear cells eight months postinfection

Peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) from 5 calves (3 controls and 2 vaccinates) used in a bovine herpesvirus 1 (BHV-1) vaccine study with a BHV-1 Cooper strain challenge were collected 6 months after challenge. The PBMCs from the control animals were positive by immunofluorescence for the BHV-1 glycoprotein D (gD) while the vaccinates were negative. The PBMC samples from 4 of the 5 animals were examined for BHV-1 DNA by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and for gD immunofluorescence at 8 months after challenge. The BHV-1 DNA and viral antigen were detected in PBMC samples at 8 months postinfection, but no virus was isolated.