IN SUSCEPTIBLE, PREGNANT CATTLE EXPOSED TO BOVINE VIRAL DIARRHEA VIRUS (BVDV), FETAL INFECTION IS COMMON AND RESULTS IN DECREASED ANIMAL HEALTH AND ECONOMIC LOSS.THE LONG-TERM GOAL OF THIS RESEARCH ARE TOEVALUATE THE IMPACT OF BOVINE VIRAL DIARRHEA VIRUS (BVDV) FETAL INFECTION ON THE FUNCTION OF THE NEONATAL IMMUNE RESPONSE. WE PLAN TO MEET THIS GOAL BY CHARACTERIZING NEONATAL CALF IMMUNITY FOLLOWINGMATERNALVIRAL INFECTION DURING PREGNANCY. FETAL INFECTION WITH BVDV IS EXPECTED TO RESULT IN DYSFUNCTIONAL IMMUNE RESPONSE THAT CAN BE DETECTED BY PHENOTYPIC AND MOLECULAR CHANGES IN IMMUNE CELLS. WE WILL USE THIS FUNDAMENTAL KNOWLEDGE TO DEVELOP MANAGEMENT STRATEGIES TO DECREASE NEONATAL MORBIDITY AND IMPROVE PRODUCTIVE EFFICIENCY FOLLOWING IN-UTERO VIRAL EXPOSURE.

University Of Tennessee, Memphis TN

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