A comparison of serological relationships among five ruminant alphaherpesviruses by ELISA

Using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays the cross reactivity of bovine herpesvirus-1.1, bovine herpesvirus-1.2, caprine herpesvirus-2, cervine (red deer) herpesvirus-1 and rangiferine (reindeer) herpesvirus-1 has been examined using rabbit hyperimmune antisera and convalescent cattle and red deer field sera. Significant cross-reactivity among all the five viruses was demonstrated. A detailed analysis showed that: (1) the two bovine herpesviruses are most closely related, (2) the cervine, caprine and rangiferine viruses are more closely related to the bovine viruses than they are to each other, (3) the cervine herpesvirus is more related to the bovine herpesvirus than to the rangiferine or caprine herpesviruses and (4) the rangiferine virus is more related to the cervine virus than to the bovine and caprine viruses. Cattle and red deer sera reacted most strongly with the bovine and cervine viruses respectively.