Balanoposthitis in bulls due to bovine herpesvirus in south Brazil.

We describe an acute outbreak of balanoposthitis in bulls at an artificial insemination station in South Brazil. Bovine herpesvirus was isolated from preputial swabs in the Crandell feline kidney cell line and secondary fetal bovine lung cells and identified using the fluorescent antibody technique and electron microscopy. Polyclonal antibodies against the whole virus were used for identification of the bovine herpesvirus with the fluorescent antibody technique. Herpesvirus particles could be seen in the infected cells by electron microscopy. Eleven bulls had clinical signs resembling balanoposthitis and nine yielded virus.