Molecular detection of bovine alphaherpesvirus-1 in cases of reproductive disorders among cattle and buffaloes in Gujarat.

Bovine alphaherpesvirus-1 (BoAHV-1) is an important viral pathogen that causes significant economic losses to the dairy industry. The present study aimed to determine the prevalence of BoAHV-1 in cases of bovine reproductive disorder. Clinical samples were collected from various villages in Gujarat using specialized FTA^® cards and were tested using real-time PCR assay targeting the gB gene of BoAHV-1. Out of 401 animals, 18.20% (95% CI: 14.74-22.28%) tested positive for BoAHV-1 DNA. The percentage positivity of BoAHV-1 was 20.37% in abortion cases and 19.55% in retention of fetal membrane cases, while only one out of nine metritis cases screened in the study was positive for BoAHV-1 DNA. A higher percentage positivity in buffaloes (22.14%) compared to cattle (16.30%) was recorded, but this difference was not statistically significant (p = 0.169). The frequency of BoAHV-1 detection was higher among crossbreeds (16.76%) and exotics (19.61%) than among indigenous cattle (8.82%), although this difference was not statistically significant (p = 0.400). There was also no significant difference in frequency distribution among animals of varying parity, ranging from 15.20 to 33.33% (p = 0.540). This study confirms the widespread circulation of BoAHV-1 and highlights the need for its control and prevention.