ABSTRACT
Small ruminants can be infected by a group generically denominated as small ruminant lentiviruses (SRLV), which comprehend several isolates, distributed into four phylogenetic groups. The Maedi-Visna (MVV) and caprine arthritis encephalitis (CAEV) viruses, originally isolated from ovine and caprine, respectively, are the prototypes of both groups. The objective of this work was to isolate and identify an SRLV strain and carry out a serological survey in ovines of the Santa Inês breed. Through co-cultivation of ovine sinovial cells and leucocytes of a seropositive ewe, LVSR was isolated (BrPe2-01 strain), and identified by the appearance of syncitium on the monolayers and by polymerase chain reaction (PCR). The serology was done through the agar gel immunodiffusion test (AGID) in 558 sheep of 25 flocks from the state of Pernambuco, Brazil. The results demonstrated positive serology in 6 (1.07%) sheep of 3 (12%) studied flocks. It was concluded that the ovine of the Santa Inês breed are being infected by SRLV, with low prevalence.
KEY WORDS
Maedi-Visna; CAEV; lentivirus; isolation; PCR; serology
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