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Bovine leukemia virus (BLV) is a retrovirus closely related to the human T-lymphotropic virus type 1 HTLV-I. The natural host of BLV is cattle. BLV integrates into the genomic DNA of B-lymphocytes as a DNA intermediate (the provirus). Besides structural and enzymatic genes required for virion production, BLV contains an oncogene coding for a protein called Tax and expresses microRNAs of unknown function. In its natural host (the cattle) leukemia is rare (about 5% of infected animals) but lymphoproliferation is rather frequent (30%). Because the oncogenic properties of the virus were discovered early, a search for evidence of pathogenicity humans started soon after discovery. Mostly farm workers drinking raw milk were tested for disease, especially for leukemia. ==History== High prevalence of virus was found from testing by USDA. "As part of the 2007 dairy study, bulk tank milk was collected from 534 operations with 30 or more dairy cows and tested with an Enzyme Linked-Immunosorbent Assay (ELISA) for the presence of antibodies against BLV. Results showed that 83.9 percent of U.S. dairy operations were positive for BLV (table 1)." BLV infection can be detected by ELISA or PCR. In Europe attempts were made to eradicate the virus by culling infected animals. The first country considered to be free of infection was Denmark. Soon the United Kingdom followed. Like the North American states, those of the Eastern block in Europe did not try to get rid of the virus. But the Eastern Europe states started to become leukosis free after the political changes at the end of the last century. A quote from a USDA fact sheet, "The high individual animal prevalence of BLV reported in the Dairy 1996 study suggests that testing and culling seropositive animals may not be a cost effective method to control the disease. Instead, preventing disease transmission by implementing preventive practices would likely be more cost-effective."〔 Natural infection of animals other than cattle and buffalo are rare, although many animals are susceptible to artificial infection. After artificial infection of sheep most animals succumb to leukemia. Rabbits get a fatal AIDS-like disease similar to Pasteurella, different from the benign human snuffles. It is not known whether this naturally occurring rabbit disease is linked to BLV infection. "Although several species can be infected by inoculation of the virus, natural infection occurs only in cattle (''Bos taurus'' and ''Bos indicus''), water buffaloes, and capybaras. Sheep are very susceptible to experimental inoculation and develop tumours more often and at a younger age than cattle. A persistent antibody response can also be detected after experimental infection in deer, rabbits, rats, guinea-pigs, cats, dogs, sheep, rhesus monkeys, chimpanzees, antelopes, pigs, goats and buffaloes." Some long term studies may be necessary, as there appears to be a correlation in instances of cancer among butchers and slaughterhouse workers.〔 Several studies have been carried out in an attempt to determine whether BLV causes disease in humans, especially through the consumption of milk from infected cows. Although earlier studies on human infection with BLV showed no conclusive evidence of transmission, a recent study demonstrated infection of human breast tissue with bovine leukemia virus (Emerging Infectious Diseases 20 (5): 772-782, 2014) and an association with human breast cancer (PLOS ONE | DOI:10.1371/journal.pone.0134304 September 2, 2015). Further studies are needed to fulfill the criteria necessary to prove that BLV could cause breast cancer. 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「Bovine leukemia virus」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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