Risk factors for seroprevalence of ovine lentivirus in breeding ewe flocks in Nebraska, USA

The prevalence of and risk factors for ovine lentivirus (OLV) infection in 1466 breeding ewes in nine US Meat Animal Research Center (MARC) flocks were determined using a recombinant transmembrane protein (PTM) enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) to detect serum anti-OLV antibodies and define infection. Based on multivariable logistic regression, confinement birth and rearing (odds ratio (OR) = 1.6), older weaning ages (OR = 1.1 week-1), and older age (OR = 1.3-2.5 year-1 beyond age 1 year) were significantly associated with higher OLV prevalence in ewes. Prevalence also varied significantly by flock, with Finnsheep and Texel ewes having the highest prevalences and Booroola Merino and Suffolk ewes having the lowest prevalences. These findings support the hypothesis that management control efforts should concentrate on events early in the life of sheep, as this period is associated with factors which can modulate the risk for OLV infection.