<abstract xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml"><p>A cross-sectional survey was conducted in Kosovo to determine the presence and prevalence of bovine leukemia virus antibodies in cattle. A total of 5,051 serum samples from 315 villages were collected during 2016. Samples were tested using commercial indirect enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. At least one sero-positive animal was found in 55 (17.5%) of the villages sampled, of which 23 had more than one sero-positive detected. Overall individual sero-prevalence, corrected for geographic distribution of samples, was found to be 2.26% (95% c.i. 1.62% to 3.04%). There were no statistically significant associations between serological status and herd size or age of animal, although sero-prevalence in 5-year-old cattle was higher than in the other ages. There was a statistical significant heterogeneity in sero-prevalence between different geographic zones of Kosovo (chi-square value = 20.68 (4 d.f.); (p=0.0004). Pairwise comparisons showed that sero-prevalence in the south was significantly higher than in the east and in the north and sero-prevalence in the west was significantly higher than in the north. The 3.11% aggregated sero-prevalence for the two highest sero-prevalence zones, south and west, was significantly higher than the 1.57% aggregated sero-prevalence for the remaining zones, centre, east and north (Fisher exact p-value (2-tail) = 0.0004). The reason for higher prevalence in the south and west of Kosovo is uncertain. These results may serve to enrich the information of bovine leukemia virus distribution in the region, as well as a starting point for the future control and eradication strategy in Kosovo.</p></abstract>

A cross-sectional survey was conducted in Kosovo to determine the presence and prevalence of bovine leukemia virus antibodies in cattle. A total of 5,051 serum samples from 315 villages were collected during 2016. Samples were tested using commercial indirect enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. At least one sero-positive animal was found in 55 (17.5%) of the villages sampled, of which 23 had more than one sero-positive detected. Overall individual sero-prevalence, corrected for geographic distribution of samples, was found to be 2.26% (95% c.i. 1.62% to 3.04%). There were no statistically significant associations between serological status and herd size or age of animal, although sero-prevalence in 5-year-old cattle was higher than in the other ages. There was a statistical significant heterogeneity in sero-prevalence between different geographic zones of Kosovo (chi-square value = 20.68 (4 d.f.); (p=0.0004). Pairwise comparisons showed that sero-prevalence in the south was significantly higher than in the east and in the north and sero-prevalence in the west was significantly higher than in the north. The 3.11% aggregated sero-prevalence for the two highest sero-prevalence zones, south and west, was significantly higher than the 1.57% aggregated sero-prevalence for the remaining zones, centre, east and north (Fisher exact p-value (2-tail) = 0.0004). The reason for higher prevalence in the south and west of Kosovo is uncertain. These results may serve to enrich the information of bovine leukemia virus distribution in the region, as well as a starting point for the future control and eradication strategy in Kosovo.

Sero-Prevalence of Bovine Leukemia Virus Infection in Kosovo Cattle

PAN Livestock Services Ltd., University of Reading, School of Agriculture, Policy and Development, Reading

Macedonian Veterinary Review

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.

{"article-title":"Sero-Prevalence of Bovine Leukemia Virus Infection in Kosovo Cattle"}

A cross-sectional survey was conducted in Kosovo to determine the presence and prevalence of bovine leukemia virus antibodies in cattle. A total of 5,051 serum...

Sero-Prevalence of Bovine Leukemia Virus Infection in Kosovo Cattle

Publié en ligne: 15 oct. 2020

Pages: 175 - 183

Reçu: 06 févr. 2020

Accepté: 22 sept. 2020

DOI: https://doi.org/10.2478/macvetrev-2020-0030

Mots clés
bovine leukemia virus, epidemiology, sero-prevalence, Kosovo

© 2020 Valdet Gjinovci et al., published by Sciendo

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.

Sero-Prevalence of Bovine Leukemia Virus Infection in Kosovo Cattle

Publié en ligne: 15 oct. 2020

Pages: 175 - 183

Reçu: 06 févr. 2020

Accepté: 22 sept. 2020

DOI: https://doi.org/10.2478/macvetrev-2020-0030

Mots clésbovine leukemia virus, epidemiology, sero-prevalence, Kosovo

© 2020 Valdet Gjinovci et al., published by Sciendo

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.

Mots clés
bovine leukemia virus, epidemiology, sero-prevalence, Kosovo