Isolation of Bluetongue virus from canine abortions

Abstract

Three aborted canine fetuses were submitted to the Animal Health Diagnostic Center at Cornell University in November 2011 and September 2012 for diagnostic workups to determine the causes of the reproductive difficulties. Histological assessments of the sampled tissues were inconclusive due to the autolysis. Tests to detect bacterial causes of the abortions were also negative. Virus isolation testing on pooled tissues from the fetuses identified a cytopathogenic agent in cell cultures. Fluorescent antibody tests on the infected cells gave a positive reaction for Bluetongue virus, and subsequent serotype specific reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction assays identified the isolates as Bluetongue virus serotype 11. The current report describes the isolation of Bluetongue virus from dogs unrelated to contaminated vaccines and in the absence of a raw meat diet.