An outbreak of visna-maedi in a flock of sheep in Southern Brazil

Bianca S. Cecco, Setor de Patologia Veterinária, Faculdade de Veterinária, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul (UFRGS), Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil. biasantanacecco@gmail.com.
Luan C. Henker, Setor de Patologia Veterinária, Faculdade de Veterinária, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul (UFRGS), Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil.
Marina P. Lorenzett, Setor de Patologia Veterinária, Faculdade de Veterinária, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul (UFRGS), Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil.
Franciéli A. Molossi, Setor de Patologia Veterinária, Faculdade de Veterinária, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul (UFRGS), Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil.
Claiton I. Schwertz, Setor de Patologia Veterinária, Faculdade de Veterinária, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul (UFRGS), Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil.
Letícia F. Baumbach, Laboratório de Virologia, Faculdade de Veterinária, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul (UFRGS), Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil.
Matheus N. Weber, Laboratório de Virologia, Faculdade de Veterinária, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul (UFRGS), Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil.
Cláudio W. Canal, Laboratório de Virologia, Faculdade de Veterinária, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul (UFRGS), Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil.
David Driemeier, Setor de Patologia Veterinária, Faculdade de Veterinária, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul (UFRGS), Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil.
Saulo P. Pavarini, Setor de Patologia Veterinária, Faculdade de Veterinária, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul (UFRGS), Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil.
Ingeborg M. Langohr, Department of Pathobiological Sciences and Louisiana Animal Disease Diagnostic Laboratory, School of Veterinary Medicine, Louisiana State University (LSU), Baton Rouge, LA, USA.
Mariano Carossino, Department of Pathobiological Sciences and Louisiana Animal Disease Diagnostic Laboratory, School of Veterinary Medicine, Louisiana State University (LSU), Baton Rouge, LA, USA.
Udeni B. Balasuriya, Department of Pathobiological Sciences and Louisiana Animal Disease Diagnostic Laboratory, School of Veterinary Medicine, Louisiana State University (LSU), Baton Rouge, LA, USA.
Luciana Sonne, Setor de Patologia Veterinária, Faculdade de Veterinária, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul (UFRGS), Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil.

Document Type

Article

Publication Date

9-1-2022

Abstract

Visna-maedi is a multisystemic and progressive inflammatory disease caused by a non-oncogenic retrovirus (Visna-maedi virus, VMV). An outbreak of visna-maedi occurred in Southern Brazil in sheep with clinical signs of blindness and stumbling gait. At post-mortem examination, all animals had similar lesions, including heavy non-collapsed lungs and multifocal yellow areas in the cerebral white matter, affecting mainly the periventricular region. These lesions corresponded histologically to lymphocytic interstitial pneumonia and histiocytic periventricular encephalitis surrounding areas of necrosis, in addition to significant demyelination in the brain. Serology was performed in all the sheep from the flock and 14% were seropositive for VMV. The presence of VMV was confirmed through PCR and partial sequencing of the 5'LTR. Sequencing demonstrated that the virus had 89.7 to 90.0% of nucleotide identity with VMV strains reported in the USA. This is the first description of clinical disease related to VMV in Brazil leading to economic losses. This study calls for the need to implement control measures to prevent the spread of small ruminant lentiviruses in Brazil.

Publication Source (Journal or Book title)

Brazilian journal of microbiology : [publication of the Brazilian Society for Microbiology]

First Page

1723

Last Page

1730

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