SEROEPIDEMIOLOGICAL INQUIRY OF ENZOOTIC BOVINE LEUKOSIS IN CATTLE HERDS IN THE STATE OF SERGIPE

Abstract The state of Sergipe, located in the Northeast of Brazil, is the only state in the region with absence of studies on the seroprevalence of Enzootic Bovine Leukosis. Therefore, there is a need of research to verify the current status of the disease. The aim of this study was to conduct a seroepidemiological inquiry of enzootic bovine leukosis in cattle herds in the state of Sergipe, which was divided into three mesoregions: East Sergipe, Agreste Sergipe (dry and wild area of Sergipe) and Sertão Sergipe (arid, badlands of Sergipe). In each mesoregion, we selected the five counties with the largest cattle population, totaling 780 samples collected from males and females at all ages, from 52 farms of the visited counties. All serum samples were submitted to the test of agar gel immunodiffusion (AGID) and positive results were obtained for anti-virus antibodies of bovine leukosis (anti-VLB) in 11.92% (93/780) of the animals. Among the farms, 59.61% (31/52) presented seropositive animals, and from the 15 counties visited, only two of them did not show seropositive animals. According to the results, the presence of the etiologic agent in cattle in Sergipe was confirmed, reinforcing the need to institute effective measures of control and prevention against Enzootic bovine, in order to control the disease in the state and better understand its epidemiology.