Identification of group B rotaviruses with short genome electropherotypes from adult cows with diarrhea

Two field strains (BB-RVLV and KD) of group B rotaviruses from adult dairy cows with diarrhea displayed short genome electropherotypes. Gnotobiotic calves inoculated with fecal filtrates of each group B rotavirus developed diarrhea, and only group B rotaviruses or antigens were detected in the feces by immunoelectron microscopy and in intestinal epithelial cells by immunofluorescent staining, respectively. The feces or intestinal contents of the cows and inoculated calves were negative for group A and C rotaviruses by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, immunoelectron microscopy, or cell culture immunofluorescence assays. Comparison of the genome electropherotypes of the calf-passaged BB-RVLV and KD strains with the original samples and reference bovine group A, B, and C rotaviruses revealed conservation of their short-genome electropherotypes and double-stranded RNA migration patterns characteristic of group B rotaviruses. To our knowledge, our previews study (L. J. Saif, K. V. Brock, D. R. Redman, and E. M. Kohler, Vet. Rec. 128:447-449, 1991) and this report are the first description of bovine group B rotaviruses (in a mixed infection with bovine coronavirus or singly in fecal contents) in adult cows with diarrhea and this is the first report of short-genome electropherotypes among group B rotaviruses.