CLINICAL , LABORATORY AND MOLECULAR EPIDEMOLOGICAL STUDIES ON A LIMITED OUTBREAK OF ENZOOTIC BOVINE LEUCOSIS IN UPPER EGYPT

Authors

1 Department of Animal and Forensic Medicine, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine Alexandria University, Egypt

2 Department of Animal Medicine, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Assiut University, Egypt

3 Department of Pathology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Assiut University, Egypt

4 Federal Research Center for Virus Diseases of Animals, Institute for Epidemiological Diagnstic , Wusterhausen, Germany

5 Federal Research Center for Virus Diseases of Animals, Institute for Microbiology, Ubingen, Germany.

Abstract

In 1989,220 Holstein Friesian cattle (212 heifers and 8 bulls) were imported from Minnesota, USA to form a closed dairy herd in Arab El-Aoumar, Assiut, Upper Egypt. In November 1996 the population had built up to 440 animals. At that time some abnormal signs such as loss of weight, decreased milk yield, external lymphadenopathy and decreased appetite were observed in this farm. Serological screening by Enzyme linked immunosorbent assey (ELISA) revealed a seroprevalence of antibodies directed against Bovine Leucosis Virus (BLV) of 37.7% in cattle under 2 years old "of 72.8% j in animals more than two years old. Diagnosis was confirmed by the detection of BLV proviral DNA by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) using primers, amplifying a fragment of the env gene. Out of 22 tested leucocyte fraction from individual animals, 15 were positive showing a BLV-specific amplicon of 440 bp. The analysis of the amplicon for restriction fragment length polymorphisms and DNA sequencing results allowed to type the isolates. Since this is the first recorded case of enzootic bovie leucosis in upper Egypt , strict quaratine measures were adopted and all serologic positive animals of the herd culled.

Main Subjects

Veterinary Medical Journal (Giza)
Volume 46, Issue 4
October 1998
Pages 393-405

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