Patholology and diagnosis of corona virus infection in bovine

Bovine coronavirus (BCV) is widespread in the cattle population, resulting in economic losses to both dairy and beef industry throughout the world. In the present study pathological studies were carried out on eleven calves of less than three months of age, died with the history of diarrhea. Detection of BCV antigen was done by using direct florescent antibody technique (dFAT) and at molecular level by reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) using established primers for conserved N gene to determine the association of BCV with the mortality pattern. Marked pathological changes were found in intestines, spleen, mesenteric lymph node, lungs and brain. Out of the eleven cases, three were found positive for BCV as determined by FAT and RT-PCR in lungs, intestines and brain.