OTHER RETROVIRUS INFECTIONS

Bovine leukaemia virus (BLV) is a deltaretrovirus that causes enzootic bovine leucosis, characterized by chronic leukaemia or lymphosarcoma in cattle. Enzootic bovine leucosis is a notifiable disease in the EU and has been eradicated from cattle herds in most western European countries.

Bovine immunodeficiency virus (BIV) is a lentivirus that is associated with leukocytosis, lymphadenopathy and meningoencephalitis in cattle. Seropositive cattle are present in many European countries. There are no known reports of BIV infection in free- ranging wild ungulates, including bison, in Europe.

Small ruminant lentiviruses (SRLV) include Visna/ maedi virus and Caprine arthritis encephalitis virus. These viruses cause interstitial pneumonia and mastitis in sheep, and arthritis and encephalitis in goats. Hybrids of sheep and mouflon ( Ovis aries musimon) have been experimen­tally shown to be susceptible to infection with SRLV⁽¹⁶⁾. Natural SRLV infection has been reported in ibexes ( Capra ibex) in the French Alps⁽¹⁷⁾. Other serological studies have failed to detect SRLV circulation in chamois in Italy(¹5), in red deer, roe deer and fallow deer in Germany¹-¹⁸) and in mouflons in central Spain⁽¹⁹⁾.

Jaagsiekte sheep retrovirus (JSRV) and Enzootic nasal tumor virus (ENTV) are betaretroviruses of small rumi­nants.

Equine infectious anemia virus (EIAV) is a Ientivirus causing severe anaemia in equids. There are no known reports of EIAV infection in wild or semi-wild equids in Europe.

REFERENCES

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