Isolation of bovine syncytial virus from lymphocytes recovered from fluids used to flush uterus and oviducts of superovulated cattle.

A Ficoll-gradient method was applied to isolate lymphocytes from fluids used to flush the uterus and oviducts of superovulated cows. Bovine syncytial virus antigens were demonstrated in 15 of 19 cows by cocultivation of lymphocytes with fetal lamb spleen cells and examining them with direct immunofluorescence. Viral serum antibodies were found in the same 15 of 19 cows as above by the modified direct complement-fixation test. The virus was also detected in one of four uterotubal cell cultures.