Reproductive tract herpes-like lesions associated with bovine herpesvirus 4 in dairy cows
- 1OIE Reference Laboratory for Swine Streptococcosis, College of Veterinary Medicine, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing, China
- 2College of Veterinary Medicine, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing, China
- 3Technical Support Center, Modern Farming (Group) Co. Ltd., Anhui, China
Abstract
Reproductive tract herpes-like lesions have been sporadically observed in dairy cows, but their pathological definition and etiological relevance remain unclear. In China, bovine herpesvirus 4 (BoHV-4) has recently gained attention as a pathogen associated with reproductive disorders in dairy cattle, including vulvovaginal herpes-like lesions and reproductive tract hemorrhage. In this case series, dairy cows presenting with a distinct clinical phenotype characterized by reproductive tract herpes-like lesions were investigated across different physiological stages. While herpes-like lesions were observed in all examined groups, hemorrhagic erosions of the reproductive tract mucosa were predominantly identified in early postpartum and dry cows. Pathological, molecular, and virological analyses were performed on lesion-associated tissues. BoHV-4 DNA was predominantly detected in samples from pregnant, dry, and early postpartum cows, whereas tissues from neonatal calves and replacement heifers were consistently negative. Infectious BoHV-4 was successfully isolated from lesion tissues and characterized by immunofluorescence assay and transmission electron microscopy. Histopathological analysis revealed multi-focal epithelial degeneration accompanied by cytoplasmic vacuolation, scattered focal epithelial necrosis, and diffuse inflammatory infiltration within the lamina propria, and immunohistochemistry demonstrated BoHV-4 antigen localization in lesion-associated epithelial and subepithelial regions. Although definitive causality cannot be established, the combined molecular, virological, and pathological findings support an association between BoHV-4 infection and this reproductive tract herpes-like clinical phenotype, which may represent a previously underdefined clinical-pathological presentation in dairy cows, particularly during specific physiological stages.
Related
- Herpesvirus-based vaccine protects against bovine respiratory syncytial virus (BRSV) in calves with maternally-derived BRSV antibodies
- Kinetochore Proteins CENPB and LIC2 are critical for Episome Persistence and Replication of Kaposis's Sarcoma-Associated Herpesvirus
- Kaposi's sarcoma-associated herpesvirus forms and maintains R-loops at origins of lytic replication
- Transposable Elements Profiling Reveals DUXA-associated MLT1D Endogenous Retroviral Elements Activation During Bovine Maternal to Zygotic Transition
- A Tissue-Targeted Immunotherapy Protects Against Recurrent Ocular Herpes Infection and Disease, and Alleviates the Associated Cognitive, Behavioral, and Social Deficits in a 'Humanized' HLA Transgenic Mouse Model of UVB-Induced Reactivation
BibTeX
@article{zhang2026reproductive,
title = {{Reproductive tract herpes-like lesions associated with bovine herpesvirus 4 in dairy cows}},
author = {Jianwei Zhang and Yuxin Lai and Hanyu Lin and Hongzuo Duan and Yiping Gu and Guangjun Chang and Chunlin Han and Zihao Pan},
journal = {ASM case reports},
year = {2026},
month = sep,
doi = {10.1128/asmcr.00055-26},
url = {https://europepmc.org/article/PMC/PMC13729749},
note = {CC BY},
}
RIS
TY - JOUR
TI - Reproductive tract herpes-like lesions associated with bovine herpesvirus 4 in dairy cows
AU - Jianwei Zhang
AU - Yuxin Lai
AU - Hanyu Lin
AU - Hongzuo Duan
AU - Yiping Gu
AU - Guangjun Chang
AU - Chunlin Han
AU - Zihao Pan
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/09/22
JO - ASM case reports
DO - 10.1128/asmcr.00055-26
UR - https://europepmc.org/article/PMC/PMC13729749
AB - Reproductive tract herpes-like lesions have been sporadically observed in dairy cows, but their pathological definition and etiological relevance remain unclear. In China, bovine herpesvirus 4 (BoHV-4) has recently gained attention as a pathogen associated with reproductive disorders in dairy cattle, including vulvovaginal herpes-like lesions and reproductive tract hemorrhage. In this case series, dairy cows presenting with a distinct clinical phenotype characterized by reproductive tract herpes-like lesions were investigated across different physiological stages. While herpes-like lesions were observed in all examined groups, hemorrhagic erosions of the reproductive tract mucosa were predominantly identified in early postpartum and dry cows. Pathological, molecular, and virological analyses were performed on lesion-associated tissues. BoHV-4 DNA was predominantly detected in samples from pregnant, dry, and early postpartum cows, whereas tissues from neonatal calves and replacement heifers were consistently negative. Infectious BoHV-4 was successfully isolated from lesion tissues and characterized by immunofluorescence assay and transmission electron microscopy. Histopathological analysis revealed multi-focal epithelial degeneration accompanied by cytoplasmic vacuolation, scattered focal epithelial necrosis, and diffuse inflammatory infiltration within the lamina propria, and immunohistochemistry demonstrated BoHV-4 antigen localization in lesion-associated epithelial and subepithelial regions. Although definitive causality cannot be established, the combined molecular, virological, and pathological findings support an association between BoHV-4 infection and this reproductive tract herpes-like clinical phenotype, which may represent a previously underdefined clinical-pathological presentation in dairy cows, particularly during specific physiological stages.
SN - 2996-2684
ER -