Teratogenic viral infections of the fetal central nervous system in animals: Timing and pathogen genetics are critical

摘要

Congenital infections of domestic animals with viruses in several families, including Bunyaviridae, Flaviridae, Parvoviridae, and Reoviridae, are the cause of naturally occurring teratogenic central nervous system defects. Congenital infections of ruminant livestock with bluetongue virus (BTV), a midge- transmitted arbovirus, have clearly shown the critical role of gestational age in determining outcome; specifically, fetuses infected prior to midgestation that survive congenital BTV infection are born with cavitating central nervous system defects that range from severe hydranencephaly to cerebral cysts (porencephaly).