1998 Volume 51 Issue 6 Pages 295-299
The prevalence of Akabane and Aino viruses in bovine cases of congenital abnormalities was investigated from 1986 through 1995 in Hyogo Prefecture. Antibody against Akabane virus was detected in 1986, 1987, 1990, 1991 and 1994 mainly in the southern area, where 14 cases were pathologically and serologicaly diagnosed as congenital arthrogryposis-hydranencephaly (AH) syndrome from November 1994 through June 1995. Antibody to Aino virus was detected every year from 1986 to 1995 except for 1994 and two epizootics of congenital deformities were observed only in the southern area. The second epizootic of congenital abnormalities occurred in 28 calves from October 1995 through April 1996, and many of affected calves showed pathological findings of AH syndorome, including cerebellar hypoplasia. The precolostrum sera from 5 calves with AH syndrome were positive for neutralizing antibodies to Aino virus, suggesting that the epizootics was due to Aino virus.
