Serological Survey of Small Ruminant Lentivirus Infections in Free-Ranging Mouflon and Chamois in Slovenia

Abstract

Small ruminant lentiviruses (SRLVs) belong to the genus Lentivirus in the Retroviridae family, which are responsible for the diseases maedi-visna and caprine arthritis-encephalitis in sheep and goats worldwide and are also widespread in Slovenian sheep and goats. SRLVs cause lifelong infections with chronic inflammatory lesions in various organ systems. Cross-species transmission of SRLV strains in sheep and goats is well documented, but there are few data on the ability of these viruses to infect wild ruminants. The objective of this study was to investigate whether SRLVs circulate among wild small ruminants in Slovenia. During the 2017–2018 hunting season, a total of 38 blood samples were collected from free-ranging chamois (Rupicapra rupicapra) and European mouflon (Ovis ammon musimon). The serum samples were tested for antibodies against SRLV by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). The serological tests revealed that of all tested mouflons, 1 animal (11.1%) was seropositive, while all samples from chamois were negative. Based on the results of this study and considering the results of previous studies in which SRLV infections were detected in mouflons with low seroprevalence, it is very likely that the detected seropositive animal was an incidental spillover host for SRLV. Although no seropositive samples were found in chamois, we cannot speculate on whether chamois may not be a host for SRLV infection because of the small sample size and the disadvantages of the ELISA assay used when applied to samples from chamois.

The genetic variability of small-ruminant lentiviruses and its impact on tropism, the development of diagnostic tests and vaccines and the effectiveness of control programmes

“…A number of tests designed for domestic animals do not have the same levels of specificity and sensitivity when used in wild species ( 156 ). Consequently, antibodies to SRLV were detected sporadically or not at all ( 81 , 92 , 135 , 157 ). When in-house ELISAs were used, higher reactivity was observed for serum from wild animals.…”

Detection of small ruminant Lentivirus proviral DNA in red deer from Poland

“…Although cross-species transmission of SRLVs between sheep and goats has become evident, research on SRLV infections in wild ruminants is very limited. Antibodies against SRLVs have been detected in Rocky Mountain goats in the USA [ 11 ], red deer and roe deer in Spain, and mouflons in Slovenia and Spain, but the number of positive samples was very low (single positive results) [ 12 , 13 ]. No reaction to SRLV infection was found in wild mouflons in Spain [ 14 ], red deer in California [ 15 , 16 ], chamois in Italy [ 17 ] or Slovenia [ 12 ] or in several species (344 from the sera of Capreolus capreolus , Cervus elaphus and Dama dama ) of wild ruminants in Germany [ 18 ].…”

“…Antibodies against SRLVs have been detected in Rocky Mountain goats in the USA [ 11 ], red deer and roe deer in Spain, and mouflons in Slovenia and Spain, but the number of positive samples was very low (single positive results) [ 12 , 13 ]. No reaction to SRLV infection was found in wild mouflons in Spain [ 14 ], red deer in California [ 15 , 16 ], chamois in Italy [ 17 ] or Slovenia [ 12 ] or in several species (344 from the sera of Capreolus capreolus , Cervus elaphus and Dama dama ) of wild ruminants in Germany [ 18 ]. To date, natural infection with SRLVs has been confirmed in Rocky Mountain goats ( Oreamnos americanus ) and Alpine ibexes ( Capra ibex ), while experimental infection with SRLVs has been reported in mouflons ( Ovis aries musimon ), which may suggest that wild ruminants may serve as reservoirs of SRLVs [ 11 , 19 – 21 ].…”

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“…A infecção por LVPR em bovinos foi avaliada experimentalmente em bezerros, porém não resultou no desenvolvimento da doença, pois não foram encontrados indícios de replicação viral (MORIN et al, 2003). Outras espécies de pequenos ruminantes selvagens podem ser susceptíveis a infecção natural ou se comportarem como reservatórios, o que pode constituir como um possível fator de risco para a saúde de caprinos e ovinos domésticos que compartilham o mesmo pasto (ERHOUMA et al, 2008;PATTON et al, 2012;SANJOSÉ et al, 2016;VENGUŠT;VENGUŠT, 2022). A doença não é considerada uma zoonose, embora haja relatos de reatividade sorológica em crianças que consumiram regularmente leite oriundo de cabras infectadas (TESORO-CRUZ et al, 2009).…”