Retrospective study of noroviruses in samples of diarrhoea from cattle, using the Veterinary Laboratories Agency's Farmfile database

A collaborative study was undertaken by the Veterinary Laboratories Agency (VLA) and the Royal Veterinary College (RVC) to determine the prevalence of bovine noroviruses in cattle with diarrhoea. Samples of bovine diarrhoea were provided by the VLA from routine diagnostic submissions and a reverse transcription-PCR was used by the RVC to detect the viruses. Epidemiological information about the samples was provided retrospectively by the Farmfile database. Noroviruses were detected in 44 (11 per cent) of the 398 samples tested, and Farmfile data were used to investigate the differences between the positive and negative animals.