A trial of molecular epidemiology using bovine enteroviruses isolated monthly from cattle

Abstract

Enteroviruses were isolated monthly for one year from feces in the intestine of 47 cattle. Judging from the isolation panel, it was suggested that endemic infection occurs. Genetic changes of isolated enteroviruses were traced using RNase T₁ oligonucleotide fingerprint analysis and nonparametric distance scaling. Using some characteristic transitions of fingerprint patterns we could also trace some strains. These analyses suggested that in some strains drastic genetic changes may occur, which coincide with additional infections transmitted from other cows. Furthermore, it was indicated that the genetic changes of viruses isolated from cow R 13 were not very drastic, but genetic changes were drastic for viruses isolated from cow R 19. Overall, we could never observe the same fingerprint pattern using RNase T₁. This study suggests that genetic changes tend to accumulate as time elapses, and at the same time, infection decreases.