Epizootic diarrhoea of adult cattle associated with a coronavirus-like agent

An epizootic of acute diarrhoea of adult cattle occured in Japan during the winter of 1976 to 1977. A majority of adult cattle clinically diagnosed as having the disease, showed a significant rises in antibody titres to bovine coronavirus, whereas only a smal; minority showed serological evidence of recent infection with calf rotavirus, bovine adenovirus type 7, parainfluenza virus type 3, or bovine viral diarrhoea-mucosal disease virus. A coronavirus-like agent was detected by electron-microscopy in faecal material from a cow with diarrhoea, and was subsequently isolated in primary bovine kidney cell cultures.