title: Effect of colostral antibody on bovine leukemia virus infection of neonatal calves.
abstract: Pairs of newborn calves were exposed to bovine leukemia virus (BLV) when they were given their 1st colostrum feeding. Calves that were given 10(6) BLV-infected lymphocytes in colostrum free of BLV-specific antibody became infected. Calves that were fed 10(7), 10(8), or 10(9) infected lymphocytes in colostrum that contained BLV-specific antibody did not become infected. One of 2 calves inoculated intradermally with 250,000 infected lymphocytes was protected by colostral antibody, but the other was not. Colostral antibody titers in the unprotected calf decreased normally until the calf was 4 months old and then increased markedly; this pattern indicates that the presence of colostral antibody may have prolonged the latent period of the BLV infection.
mesh_terms: D000284:Administration, Oral; D000818:Animals; D000831:Animals, Newborn / Q000276:immunology; D000914:Antibodies, Viral / Q000276:immunology*; D002417:Cattle / Q000276:immunology*; D002418:Cattle Diseases / Q000517:prevention & control*; D003126:Colostrum / Q000276:immunology*; D005260:Female; D007938:Leukemia / Q000517:prevention & control / Q000662:veterinary*; D001909:Leukemia Virus, Bovine / Q000276:immunology*; D012190:Retroviridae / Q000276:immunology*
chemical_list: D000914:Antibodies, Viral