Detection and phylogenetic analysis of an atypical pestivirus, strain IZSPLV_To

Recently, atypical bovine pestiviruses (BVDV-3) have been identified in batches of contaminated foetal calf serum (FCS) and in naturally infected cattle. During routine screening of FCS by conventional panpestivirus PCR assay, one batch showed traces of pestivirus nucleic acids, and the contaminating virus was typed as BVDV-3-like. Phylogenetic analysis based on three genome regions (5′UTR, Npro and E2) showed that this strain, named IZSPLV_To, clusters in a separate clade with CH_KaHo/cont, a cell culture contaminant detected in Switzerland. This study is the first report of the detection in Italy of a FCS batch contaminated with BVDV-3 and adds more evidence that atypical pestiviruses represent a serious cause for concern in cell culture laboratories, with potential repercussions on BVD control and vaccine biosafety. Our findings suggest that the BE/B2 primers may be able to detect BVDV-3 in a panpestivirus assay, but testing of a larger number of strains is required.