PREVALENCE OF SMALL RUMINANT LENTIVIRUS INFECTIONS IN SHEEP AND GOATS IN SOME REGIONS OF VOJVODINA PROVINCE

Abstract

Small Ruminant Lentivirus causes a chronic lifelong, multisystemic diseases in sheep and goats with or without clinical manifestation. Maedi-visna virus (MVV) and Caprine arthritis encephalitis virus (CAEV) are often considered together as small ruminants lentivirus (SRLV) due to their phylogenetic correlation and the interspecies transmission between sheep and goats.

During the period of four years, from 2015-2018, an annual monitoring was done on male animals (rams and bucks) used for breeding, for determination of antibodies against SRLV with ELISA serological method. In total, serum samples from 6732  animals were analyzed.

During the study period, seroprevalence for small ruminant lentivirus has rised from 4,17% to 16,21%, with an overall value of 12% for the whole period. Over the years seroprevalence has been changing with increasing tendency. The highest seroprevalence in rams was in 2018, when the largest number of samples was examined. In bucks, the highest number of positive samples was found in 2015. From 2014 until 2018, the overall seroprevalence in rams and bucks has increased significantly. From the study results it can be seen that annual monitoring program is very important and has to be held in the future in order to have the disease under control. The program helps in rising the awareness and knowledge of the owners about SRLV and the importance of breeding seronegative animals.