Late gestation maternal infection with bovine viral diarrhea virus impacts offspring feedlot performance, digestion, blood parameters, and hot carcass weights.

Fetal infection with bovine viral diarrhea virus (BVDV) after 150 d results in transient fetal infections (TI). Twenty-five unvaccinated, yearling Hereford heifers, seronegative for antibodies to BVDV1 and BVDV2, were bred by artificial insemination with X chromosome-bearing sperm from one Angus sire to examine the impact of TI on postnatal growth, estimated dry matter digestibility, blood parameters, and carcass characteristics. On d 175 of pregnancy, dams were intranasally inoculated with either sham control or 4.0 log median tissue culture infectious dose noncytopathic type2 BVDV to generate control or TI offspring, respectively. All control dams remained seronegative and all BVDV-inoculated dams seroconverted by d 14 post-inoculation. All control offspring were seronegative and all TI offspring were seropositive for antibodies to type 2 BVDV at birth. All offspring were raised on pasture until weaning. At weaning, all calves were transported to our research feedlot facility, housed in three pens, and transitioned to a high-energy concentrate-based diet. Heifer body weights (BW) and jugular blood samples were collected every 28 d. On d 84 of the feeding period, titanium dioxide was added to the diet of 12, age-paired, individually fed, heifers (6 control and 6 TI heifers; approximately 1 yr. of age) for 28 d and used to estimate dry matter digestibility. On d 105 and 240 ruminal fluid (approximately 900 ml) was collected from every animal using a stomach pump and analyzed for short chain fatty acids (SCFA). After approximately 287 d on feed, heifers were transported to a USDA-inspected abattoir and harvested. TI heifers had lighter final BW (P < 0.04) when compared to control heifers. Average daily gain was greater (P < 0.01) in control compared to TI heifers. TI heifers had a 2.2% lesser (P < 0.05) apparent dry matter digestibility, lighter (P < 0.01) hot carcass weights, but similar ruminal SCFA compared to controls. Blood glucose concentrations were similar (P > 0.8) between control and TI heifers. Ceruloplasmin activity (P < 0.03) and the oxidized form of glutathione (GSSG; P < 0.01), indicators of chronic inflammation, were increased in plasma from TI heifers compared to controls. Other indicators of oxidative stress were not impacted (P > 0.10) by TI status. These data suggest that fetal BVDV transient infection negatively impacts growth throughout the feeding period, possibly by impacting gastrointestinal tract function and increasing systemic inflammation.