Genetic characterization of bovine respiratory syncytial virus strains isolated in Italy: evidence for the circulation of new divergent clades

Abstract

Bovine respiratory syncytial virus (BRSV) is circulating in cattle in Europe. Although vaccination helps control the disease, its prevalence within and among herds remains high. Previous genetic characterization studies revealed a strict geographic correlation between viral variants; on the other hand, they showed the emergence of new variants in northern Europe. Few studies have described BRSV distribution, and little is known about the genetic features of BRSV strains circulating in Italy. We studied sample-positive tests for BRSV, and sequenced the coding regions of the G and N proteins to determine the presence of divergent variants. Two different sets of sequences were found, including in samples from animals from vaccinated herds. The 2 groups of sequences correspond to 2 time periods and suggest an active role of herd immunity in preventing the spread of infection. Our findings that different strains of BRSV are circulating in Italy and that the virus is evolving rapidly highlight the importance of updating vaccination strategies.