Reactivation in calves of Bovid herpesvirus 2 latent infection

Seven calves which had recovered from an experimentally induced infection with Bovid herpesvirus 2 (BHV 2) were subjected to a course of dexamethasone (DMS) treatment six months later. BHV 2 was recovered from nasal swabs obtained from each calf 11 days after the start of DMS treatment. The virus was also isolated from the skin, nervous system tissue and lymph nodes of a calf killed 11 days after the start of DMS treatment in which a concurrent piroplasma infection was also, unexpectedly, discovered. It is suggested that the skin and nervous system are possible anatomical sites for the latency of BHV 2 in the host.