title: Transmission of bovine leukemia virus by Tabanus fuscicostatus.
abstract: Bovine leukemia virus (BLV) was transmitted by horse flies, Tabanus fuscicostatus, from a cow with a lymphocyte count of 31,500/mm3 to goats and dairy calves. As few as 10 and 20 flies transmitted BLV to goats and calves respectively, but the minimal number of flies required to transmit the infection was not established. Groups of 150 and 100 T fuscicostatus transmitted BLV to beef calves from a cow with a lymphocyte count of 14,600/mm3. These results support a role for horse flies in the horizontal transmission of BLV.
authors.affiliation: Department of Entomology, Louisiana State University Agricultural Center, Baton Rouge.
authors.forename: L D
authors.initials: LD
authors.lastname: Foil
authors.forename: D D
authors.initials: DD
authors.lastname: French
authors.forename: P G
authors.initials: PG
authors.lastname: Hoyt
authors.forename: C J
authors.initials: CJ
authors.lastname: Issel
authors.forename: D J
authors.initials: DJ
authors.lastname: Leprince
authors.forename: J M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: McManus
authors.forename: C L
authors.initials: CL
authors.lastname: Seger
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002417:Cattle; D002418:Cattle Diseases / Q000635:transmission*; D004175:Diptera / Q000382:microbiology*; D007303:Insect Vectors / Q000382:microbiology*; D007938:Leukemia / Q000662:veterinary*; D001909:Leukemia Virus, Bovine / Q000502:physiology*; D012190:Retroviridae / Q000502:physiology*; D014766:Viremia / Q000635:transmission / Q000662:veterinary