ABSTRACT
A seroprevalence study of bovine immunodeficiency virus (BIV) was undertaken on 1,541 serum samples from Holstein cattle from 23 herds, located in different geographical regions of Poland. The analysis was performed using ELISA, with recombinant Gag protein of BIV as antigen. The average BIV prevalence was 4.9% in individual cattle, while the percentage of herds harboring at least one seropositive animal, was 82.6%. To demonstrate the correlation of BIV and bovine leukemia virus infection, all sera were analysed for BLV antibodies and there was only a slight association between both infections. Overall, these results show that BIV infection is present in dairy cattle in Poland at a prevalence rate found in other European countries.
Subject(s)
Antibodies, Viral/blood , Cattle Diseases/virology , Immunodeficiency Virus, Bovine/isolation & purification , Lentivirus Infections/veterinary , Animals , Cattle , Cattle Diseases/epidemiology , Dairying , Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay , Lentivirus Infections/epidemiology , Lentivirus Infections/virology , Poland/epidemiology , Seroepidemiologic Studies , Serologic TestsABSTRACT
The gag gene encoded protein, p24 of bovine leukemia virus (BLV), was cloned and expressed as thioredoxin-6xHis-p24 protein in Escherichia coli. The bacterial cells carrying plasmid pT7THis-p24 expressed the protein of 38 kDa that was detected by immunoblotting analysis using anti-p24 monoclonal antibodies and sera from BLV infected cattle and sheep. The purified p24 fusion protein was shown to be sensitive and specific for detection of BLV antibodies in the infected cattle.
