Bovine Diarrhea Virus

III. Physicochemical Properties of Bovine Diarrhea Virus

Abstract

Virus strain No. 12, one of the new isolates from Japanese cattle described previously, was studied for its physicochemical properties. The new isolate was shown to be very small in size by centrifugation and filtration, being filtrable through Millipore filters of 50 mμ pore size. It appears to be an RNA virus as its replication was not inhibited by 5-iodo-2'-deoxyuridine. The virus was readily inactivated by ether and deoxycholate, and partially by trypsin; was labile at pH 3, not stabilized by 1 M MgCl2 at 50 C, was inactivated by ultraviolet, and withstood repeated freeze-thawing. Further it was readily inactivated at 56 C but more slowly at 37 C, and was stable at lower temperatures. These findings support the identification of the isolated virus as the bovine diarrhea (BD) virus. The properties of BD virus, i.e. size, type of nucleic acid, ether, chloroform and deoxycholate sensitivities, and acid lability, appear to be similar to those of arboviruses. The trypsin sensitivity of BD virus is similar to the B group of arboviruses, which, unlike the A group, sensitive to trypsin. For the classification of BD virus as well as hog cholera virus, which is closely related, further elucidation of properties, fine structure of the virion, etc., is needed.