BHV

BHV may refer to:

Bovine herpesvirus 1

Bovine herpesvirus 1 (BoHV-1) is a virus of the family Herpesviridae and the subfamily Alphaherpesvirinae, known to cause several diseases worldwide in cattle, including rhinotracheitis, vaginitis, balanoposthitis, abortion, conjunctivitis, and enteritis. BoHV-1 is also a contributing factor in shipping fever, also known as bovine respiratory disease (BRD). It is spread horizontally through sexual contact, artificial insemination, and aerosol transmission and it may also be transmitted vertically across the placenta. BoHV-1 can cause both clinical and subclinical infections, depending on the virulence of the strain. Although these symptoms are mainly non-life-threatening it is an economically important disease as infection may cause a drop in production and affect trade restrictions. Like other herpesviruses, BoHV-1 causes a lifelong latent infection and sporadic shedding of the virus. The sciatic nerve and trigeminal nerve are the sites of latency. A reactivated latent carrier is normally the source of infection in a herd. The clinical signs displayed are dependent on the virulence of the strain. There is a vaccine available which reduces the severity and incidence of disease. Some countries in Europe have successfully eradicated the disease by applying a strict culling policy.

Bovine herpesvirus 2

Bovine herpesvirus 2 (BoHV2) is a virus of the family Herpesviridae that causes two diseases in cattle, bovine mammillitis and pseudo-lumpy skin disease. BoHV2 is similar in structure to human herpes simplex virus.

Pseudo-lumpy skin disease was originally discovered in South Africa where a similar but more serious disease caused by a poxvirus, lumpy skin disease, is also prevalent. Symptoms include fever and skin nodules on the face, back, and perineum. The disease heals within a few weeks. Bovine mammillitis is characterized by lesions restricted to the teats and udder. BoHV-2 probably spreads through an arthropod vector, but can also be spread through milkers and milking machines.

A review publication from 2011 presents a series of controversial but scientifically based conclusions concerning the pathogenesis and epidemiology of the infection (summary: https://sites.google.com/site/bovineherpesvirus2/), among these that spread among cattle is preferably by the respiratory route, and that skin lesions result from viremic spread to epidermal foci and inflammation due to complement activation by the classical pathway at sites of virus propagation after formation of early antibody to BoHV2. Lesions may be aggravated by low skin temperature (e.g. in edematic or hairless skin areas) causing reduced blood circulation and hampered removal of cell-toxic inflammatory substances.