Ovarian lesions induced in heifers by intravenous inoculation with modified-live infectious bovine rhinotracheitis virus on the day after breeding.

Four commercially available vaccine strains of modified-live infectious bovine rhinotracheitis virus were passaged once in embryonic bovine kidney cells. Heifers were inoculated IV on the day after breeding with 5.0 ml of nondiluted cell culture fluid of each of the 4 strains. Virus was reisolated from nasal swabs and blood collected during the week after inoculation. The heifers were killed 9 to 14 days after inoculation. Mild-to-marked inflammatory and necrotic lesions were seen in the corpora lutea and ovaries of the heifers. The lesions were similar to, and almost as severe as, those resulting from the inoculation of virulent strains of infectious bovine rhinotracheitis virus. Adrenal lesions were also found in all heifers examined. Virus was reisolated from the ovaries of only 4 of the 8 heifers. However, virus was confirmed in the ovaries of all 8 heifers, using immunofluorescent or ultrastructural studies. Heifers with severe luteal damage had abnormally low plasma progesterone concentrations.