title: First Molecular Characterization of Bovine Leukemia Virus Infections in the Caribbean.
abstract: Bovine leukemia virus (BLV) is a retrovirus that causes enzootic bovine leucosis. To investigate the presence and genetic variability of BLV in the Caribbean for the first time, we preformed fluorescence resonance energy transfer (FRET)-PCR for the pol of BLV on DNA from whole blood of cattle from Dominica, Montserrat, Nevis and St. Kitts. Standard PCRs with primers for the env were used for phylogenetic analysis of BLV in positive animals. We found FRET-PCR positive cattle (12.6%, 41/325) on Dominica (5.2%; 4/77) and St. Kitts (19.2%; 37/193) but not on Montserrat (0%, 0/12) or Nevis (0%, 0/43). Positive animals were cows on farms where animals were raised intensively. Phylogenetic analysis using the neighbor-joining (NJ) method on partial and full-length env sequences obtained for strains from Dominica (n = 2) and St. Kitts (n = 5) and those available in GenBank (n = 90) (genotypes 1-10) revealed the Caribbean strains belonged to genotype 1 (98-100% sequence homology). Ours is the first molecular characterization of BLV infections in the Caribbean and the first description of genotype 1 in the region.
authors.affiliation: Jiangsu Co-Innovation Center for the Prevention and Control of Important Animal Infectious Diseases and Zoonoses, Yangzhou University College of Veterinary Medicine, Yangzhou, Jiangsu, China.|Department of Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory, College of Veterinary Medicine, Kansas State University, Kansas, Kansas, United States of America.
authors.forename: Yi
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.affiliation: Ross University School of Veterinary Medicine, Basseterre, Saint Kitts and Nevis.
authors.forename: Patrick John
authors.initials: PJ
authors.lastname: Kelly
authors.affiliation: Department of Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory, College of Veterinary Medicine, Kansas State University, Kansas, Kansas, United States of America.
authors.forename: Jianfa
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Bai
authors.affiliation: Jiangsu Co-Innovation Center for the Prevention and Control of Important Animal Infectious Diseases and Zoonoses, Yangzhou University College of Veterinary Medicine, Yangzhou, Jiangsu, China.
authors.forename: Rong
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.affiliation: Jiangsu Co-Innovation Center for the Prevention and Control of Important Animal Infectious Diseases and Zoonoses, Yangzhou University College of Veterinary Medicine, Yangzhou, Jiangsu, China.|Department of Pathobiology, College of Veterinary Medicine, Auburn University, Auburn, Alabama, United States of America.
authors.forename: Chengming
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Wang
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D017691:Caribbean Region; D002417:Cattle; D019424:Dominica; D016583:Enzootic Bovine Leukosis / Q000821:virology*; D031541:Fluorescence Resonance Energy Transfer; D005838:Genotype; D001909:Leukemia Virus, Bovine / Q000145:classification / Q000235:genetics*; D010802:Phylogeny