Seroprevalence, Risk Factors and Molecular Identification of Bovine Leukemia Virus in Egyptian Cattle
Animals • 2021
Publication Information
Authors
Abdelfattah Selim; Eman A. Manaa; Abdullah D. Alanazi; Mohamed S. Alyousif
Keywords
bovine leukemia virus; seroprevalence; risk-factors; phylogenetic analysis; cattle
Journal
Animals
Publisher
MDPI
Volume
11
Issue
2
Pages
319
publication.type
International
Paper Link
Open Link
Supplementary Materials
Not Available
Abstract
Bovine leukemia virus (BLV) is distributed worldwide and affects dairy cattle causing severe economic losses. The BLV has been serologically reported in Egypt, but few studies have evaluated its associated risk factors and genetic classification. Therefore, this study assessed risk factors associated with BLV infection and identified the genetic diversity of the Egyptian strain. The study was conducted on 500 dairy cattle distributed in four Governorates located in Northern Egypt. Overall, the seroprevalence of BLV infection among Egyptian dairy cattle was 18.2%. The grazing cattle in the losing house system had higher odds for BLV seropositivity, and bad practice such as the use of a single needle or one plastic glove for more than one animal was considered a significant risk factor for BLV infection. Besides, the sequencing and phylogenetic analysis for one Egyptian BLV strain was performed, and the obtained results confirmed the clustering of Egyptian BLV strain into genotype-1. The assessment of associated risk factors for BLV infection and determination of its genetic classification are essential to implement an effective control program.
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