Study of Lentiviruses in Canadian Sheep and Goats
Author Information
Author(s): L'Homme Yvan, Ouardani Mourad, Lévesque Valérie, Bertoni Giuseppe, Simard Carole, Pisoni Giuliano
Primary Institution: Canadian Food Inspection Agency
Hypothesis
What is the genetic diversity of small ruminant lentiviruses in Canadian sheep and goats?
Conclusion
Canadian and US small ruminant lentivirus strains share common origins, with no evidence of cross-species transmission between sheep and goats.
Supporting Evidence
- All SRLV sequences obtained from sheep clustered with prototypical Maedi visna sequences from America.
- All SRLV strains from goats clustered with prototypical US CAEV-Cork strain.
- Single species flocks in Canada limit opportunities for cross-species transmission.
Takeaway
This study looked at viruses in Canadian sheep and goats and found that they are closely related to similar viruses in the US, but they don't seem to spread between the two species.
Methodology
Molecular and phylogenetic analysis of SRLVs from 30 infected sheep and 36 infected goats using long sequences from the gag region.
Potential Biases
The use of specific primers may have selected for certain strain subgroups.
Limitations
The small sample size may not represent the true variety of SRLV strains in Canada.
Participant Demographics
Infected sheep and goats from 14 different flocks in Canada.
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
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