Goat Paratuberculosis: Experimental Model for the Evaluation of Mycobacterium Persistence in Raw Milk Cheese.

subsp. s (MAP) is the causative agent of chronic proliferative enteritis found in ruminants, known as paratuberculosis (PTB). The spread of PTB is increasing in countries with advanced animal husbandry practices, leading to significant economic losses.

A single nucleotide variant in the promoter region of the CCR5 gene increases susceptibility to arthritis encephalitis virus in goats.

Background: The small ruminant lentiviruses (SRLVs) are a heterogeneous group of viruses that includes caprine arthritis encephalitis virus (CAEV) and Maedi-Visna virus (MVV). SRLVs affect the production and welfare of sheep and goats worldwide. There is currently no effective treatment.

Evaluation of internal reference genes for quantitative expression analysis by real-time PCR in ovine whole blood.

The use of reference genes is commonly accepted as the most reliable approach to normalize qRT-PCR and to reduce possible errors in the quantification of gene expression. The most suitable reference genes in sheep have been identified for a restricted range of tissues, but no specific data on whole blood are available. The aim of this study was to identify a set of reference genes for normalizing qRT-PCR from ovine whole blood.

Development of specific diagnostic test for small ruminant lentivirus genotype E.

Small ruminant lentivirus (SRLV) belonging to the highly divergent genotype E has recently been identified in the Italian goat breed Roccaverano. In this report we have developed a specific serological test based on recombinant matrix/capsid antigen fusion protein. Performance has been evaluated and compared with a similar test based on genotype B antigen.

Genetic characterization of small ruminant lentivirus in Italian mixed flocks: evidence for a novel genotype circulating in a local goat population.

In this study, characterization of the gag gene of small ruminant lentiviruses was carried out in Italian mixed flocks. The nearly complete gag gene was amplified and sequenced. Within genotype A, subtype A1 and a novel subtype, A8, were found in goats, and another novel subtype, A9, was found in both sheep and goats.

Phylogenetic analysis of small-ruminant lentivirus subtype B1 in mixed flocks: evidence for natural transmission from goats to sheep.

Small-ruminant lentiviruses (SRLV), consisting of the caprine arthritis-encephalitis virus (CAEV) and the maedi-visna virus (MVV), cause chronic multisystemic infections in goats and sheep. The SRLV subtype B1, characterized by the prototypic strain CAEV-CO, has a worldwide distribution and, remarkably, has been isolated exclusively from goats, suggesting potential host specificity. To test this hypothesis, SRLV pol sequences were obtained by PCR amplification from blood samples of seropositive dairy goats and sheep living in mixed flocks.