Bovine herpesvirus 1 (BHV-1) is one of the most important cattle pathogens, causing great economic losses to the cattle industry. BHV-1 is frequently associated with abortion in infected cattle. Abortion is only one component of a much larger and complex fetal-neonatal mortality syndrome and diagnostic laboratory assistance is essential for definitive diagnosis of the cause of abortion in cattle herds. In Iran, few serological tests for BHV-1 infection have indicated a high frequency of animal with antibodies in dairy cattle herds. PCR technique as a rapid, sensitive and specific assay could be an applicable diagnostic tool for BHV-1 infection in aborted fetuses.

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