Transmission of bovine leukemia virus (BLV) to immunocompromised monkeys: evidence for persistent infection
Schödel, F.; Hahn, B.; Hübner, R.; Hochstein-Mintzel, V.
Microbiologica 9(2): 163-172
1986
ISSN/ISBN: 0391-5352 PMID: 3012289 Document Number: 283285
Splenectomized or irradiated adult and untreated baby macaques were infected with BLV from continuously virus producing fetal lamb kidney cell cultures. Persisting high antibody titres were followed for 4 years in the adult and 16 months in the baby monkeys, by ELISA. With the exception of a persistent leukocytosis in one adult monkey, the animals remained healthy throughout the observation period. Transfer of lymphocytes from this animal to a seronegative recipient led to anti-BLV seroconversion with a lag of 5 months. All other transfer experiments gave a negative result. Virus could be recovered from the newly infected baby macaques by means of lymphocyte/fetal lamb kidney cell cocultivation for up to 4 weeks after inoculation. All other attempts to recover virus from the infected animals at a later point were unsuccessful.