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ARS Home » Midwest Area » Ames, Iowa » National Animal Disease Center » Ruminant Diseases and Immunology Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #62250
Title: A PHENOTYPIC AND GENETIC STUDY OF TWO RETROVIRAL INFECTIONS IN PERIPARTURIENT HOLSTEIN CATTLE

Author
item DETILLEUX, JOHANN - IA STATE UNIV., AMES, IA
item Kehrli Jr, Marcus
item FREEMAN, AL - IA STATE UNIV., AMES, IA
item Whetstone, Cecelia
item KELLEY, DAVID - IA STATE UNIV., AMES, IA

Submitted to: Journal of Dairy Science
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 5/11/1995
Publication Date: N/A
Citation: N/A

Interpretive Summary: Viral diseases in dairy cattle can dramatically impact milk production. Cattle with viral diseases will often develop secondary bacterial infections which might require antibiotic administration. This becomes a legitimate concern to consumers because of potential antibiotic residues as a result of treating cows for various infections. In the work reported here, we investigated whether there is any genetically-based resistance to two different bovine viruses (bovine leukemia virus and bovine immunodeficiency-like virus). The main benefit of the work reported here was the finding that how we manage and handle cows plays a more important role in the transmission of these bovine viruses than the genetic differences between cows. We also found that the transmission of the two viruses is apparently different, since the prevalence of antibodies to the viruses and the rate of spread differ.

Technical Abstract: Environmental and genetic factors affecting prevalence of antibodies to bovine leukosis virus and bovine immunodeficiency-like virus were studied on 137 periparturient Holstein cows selected for milk production. Environmental effects were obtained by logistic regression and genetic parameters were determined using threshold animal models. Cows selected for high predicted transmitting ability for kilograms of milk fat plus protein had the highest prevalence of antibodies to bovine immunodeficiency-like virus and the lowest prevalence of antibodies to bovine leukosis virus. Heritability estimates for susceptibility to retroviral infections were close to zero.