Bovine leukemia virus

Bovine leukemia virus Bovine leukemia virus or bovine or leukemia virus ( BLV short ) is a lymphotropic retrovirus whose primary host is the ox. It causes a part of the infected bovine enzootic bovine leukosis, a B -cell leukemia, and can be transmitted through milk and blood. For tropical countries, a transmission by blood-sucking insects is discussed.

Properties and systematics

The bovine leukemia virus BLV belongs taxonomically to the delta retroviruses, including the human pathogenic viruses HTLV -1 and HTLV -2, as well as the closely related simian virus STLV -1, -2 and -3 are.

Occurrence

Since the cow's milk plays a major role in the diet of man, being or has been tried in Europe and other countries to eradicate this virus. Germany and most of the European Community countries have for years been free of bovine leukosis as. In non-European countries, the virus enters the livestock before (South America, North America, Africa ).

In North America, yet also seek to eradicate the virus, since the effect on milk yield is low and leukemias, leading to a loss of the animal, rarely occur. It is therefore in American dairy products, milk powder, possibly contained in the arising during cheese manufacture in large quantities of milk sugar, etc. in principle. Infectious BLV is however unlikely to be included in these products, since the virus is very sensitive to environmental conditions and outside the organism remains infectious for a very short time.

Infections of other mammals

Of the infected cattle only a few of leukemia. An experimental transmission succeeded in sheep, goats, rabbits, pigs, cats, dogs, rats, guinea pigs and monkeys. They react with at least one antibody formation. Sheep developed by experimental infections tumors, more rarely, goats and chickens.