Bovine polyomavirus 2 is a probable cause of non-suppurative encephalitis in cattle

Abstract

Tissues from two cows with neurological signs that were admitted to the Vetsuisse Faculty under suspicion of rabies and bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE), respectively, were further analyzed for this case report. After histopathological examination and exclusion of BSE and rabies, the animals were diagnosed with etiologically unresolved disseminated non-suppurative encephalitis. Using next-generation sequencing, we detected the full genome of bovine polyomavirus 2 (BoPyV2) in brain samples from both animals. This virus has been identified in beef samples in three independent studies conducted in the United States and Germany, but has not been linked to any disease. Analysis of the two new BoPyV2 genome sequences revealed close phylogenetic relationships to one another and to BoPyV2 isolates detected in beef samples. In situ hybridization demonstrated the presence of viral nucleic acid in all investigated brain areas and in areas with signs of inflammation in both animals. Thus, we provide the first evidence that BoPyV2 is a probable cause of non-suppurative encephalitis in cattle, and encourage further molecular and serological testing to elucidate the disease’s epidemiology, as well as experimental transmission studies to prove causality between the infection and disease.