Pestivirus infections in Norway. Epidemiological studies in goats.

During one breeding season, 2335 female goats in 39 herds in different parts of Norway were examined for pestivirus infection and for reproductive performance. Before breeding, all animals were examined for neutralizing antibodies against the NADL strain of pestivirus, 83 (3.6 per cent) positive animals in 12 herds being demonstrated. The herd prevalences ranged from 1 to 63 per cent. Antibody titres varied from 1 in 4 to 1 in 2048. Of 1816 females in 30 herds for which post-breeding information was available, a total of 178 (9.8 per cent) animals in 25 of the herds demonstrated gestation failure. Three of these goats began to produce antibodies against the NADL strain during gestation. Sera from the 83 animals with NADL antibodies were titrated for neutralizing antibodies against three additional strains of pestivirus, the highest geometrical mean titre being found for antibodies against a Norwegian bovine strain.