DETECTION OF RESPIRATORY AND ENTERIC SHEDDING OF BOVINE CORONAVIRUSES IN CATTLE IN NORTHWESTERN TURKEY

Bovine coronavirus (BCoV) is an important cause of diarrhoea in calves, winter dysentery in adult cattle and respiratory tract disease in feedlot cattle. Serum, faecal and nasal swab samples were collected from a total of 96 cattle with clinical signs in 29 barns of 23 villages in Northwestern Turkey. The cattle were subdivided into 3 distinct age groups (0-30 days old, 4-12 months old and 2-7 years old). An indirect antigen-capture ELISA and an antibody-detection ELISA as well as geometric mean BCoV antibody titres were used to detect BoCV shed in the faeces and in the nasal secretions, respectively. Relationships between BCoV shedding and age group, seroconversion and clinical signs in cattle were also analysed. The rate of faecal shedding of BoCV was 37.1% (13/35) in 0-30 days old calves, 25.6% (10/39) in 4-12 months old feedlot cattle and 18.2% (4/22) in 2-7 years old cows. The overall rate of BCoV faecal shedding was 28.1% (27/96) in the cattle examined. Only one animal in the 4-12 months old age gro...