title: Detection and isolation of bovine immunodeficiency-like virus (BIV) in dairy herds of Costa Rica.
abstract: Serological (Western blot) detection of bovine immunodeficiency-like virus (BIV) in Holstein dairy herds is reported in Costa Rica for the first time, as well as the isolation of the virus, from a seropositive bovine, by cocultivation of peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) with embryonic rabbit epithelial (EREp) cells. The isolated strain, BIVCR1, reacted similarly in Western blot as the reference strain BIV R29 and is clearly distinguishable from bovine leukaemia virus (BLV). The data suggest an association between BIV infections and BLV infections, as it has been reported elsewhere. From these results it can be concluded that BIV is present in Costa Rica and it is suggested that these viral infections will probably follow the epidemiological parameters of BLV infections in Costa Rica, reaching high infection rates in dairy herds.
authors.affiliation: Centro de Investigación en Biología Celular y Molecular Universidad de Costa Rica, San Pedro.
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Hidalgo
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Flores
authors.forename: J A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Bonilla
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002417:Cattle; D002418:Cattle Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000821:virology*; D003364:Costa Rica / Q000453:epidemiology; D005260:Female; D016087:Immunodeficiency Virus, Bovine / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D016180:Lentivirus Infections / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000662:veterinary* / Q000821:virology