MOLECULAR CHARACTERIZATION OF ITALIAN BOVINE LEUKEMIA VIRUS ISOLATES REVEALS THE PRESENCE OF DISTINCT PHYLOGENETIC CLUSTERS

Authors    Bazzucchi M, Iscaro C, Casciari C, Giammarioli M, Feliziani F

Abstract    Disease caused by bovine leukemia virus (BLV) results in significant economic losses to the livestock industry. To date, there is only one report describing the strains found in Italy. BLV strains (n = 24), collected between 2012 and 2016 from four different Italian regions, were genetically analyzed by direct sequencing of a portion of the BLV env gene, and the sequences were compared with those in the GenBank database. The Italian BLVs clustered into genotypes G2, G4, G6, G7, and G8, revealing a high level of BLV genetic heterogeneity in Italy. This study provides a basis for further investigations into the evolutionary relationship between BLV strains.

Publish Date   2019

Volume     164 (6)

ISSN   1432-8798

DOI    doi.org/10.1007/s00705-019-04255-4

URL   https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s00705-019-04255-4

Journal    Archives of Virology

Pages  1697-1703

PMID   30968212