Severe enteritis in Italian Mediterranean buffalo calves associated with a novel bovine-like coronavirus

Abstract

An outbreak of severe enteritis in Italian Mediterranean buffalo calves is reported, which was associated to infection by a novel bovine-like coronavirus (CoV). By conventional and real-time RT-PCR assays for bovine-like CoVs, the virus was demonstrated in the intestinal contents of two 20-day-old buffalo calves that died of a severe form of enteritis, as well as in the fecal specimens of additional 17 buffalo calves with diarrhea. Biological and genetic characterization showed that the bubaline strain can be considered as prototype of a novel group 2 CoV, namely bubaline CoV (BuCoV).

Key words:

• Enteritis
• Buffalo calves
• Novel coronavirus