Search

A diagnostic investigation into an outbreak of fatal respiratory disease among young goats in Iowa, USA revealed bronchitis lesions of unknown etiology and secondary bacterial bronchopneumonia. Hypothesis-free metagenomics identified a previously unreported picornavirus (USA/IA26017/2023), and further phylogenetic analysis classified USA/IA26017/2023 as an aphthovirus related to bovine rhinitis B virus. Viral nucleic acid was localized to lesions of bronchitis using in situ hybridization. This marks the first report of a picornavirus putatively causing respiratory disease in goats and highlights the potential for cross-species transmission of aphthoviruses.

The adaptive immune response is necessary for the development of protective immunity against infectious diseases. Porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome virus (PRRSV), a genetically heterogeneous and rapidly evolving RNA virus, is the most burdensome pathogen of swine health and wellbeing worldwide. Viral infection induces antigen-specific immunity that ultimately clears the infection. However, the resulting immune memory, induced by virulent or attenuated vaccine viruses, is inconsistently protective against diverse viral strains. The immunological mechanisms by which primary and memory protection are generated and used are not well understood. Here, we summarize current knowledge regarding cellular and humoral components of the adaptive immune response to PRRSV infection that mediate primary and memory immune protection against viruses.