Prevalence of antibodies to selected viruses in bovine embryo donors and recipients from Brazil, and its implications in international embryo trade.

The prevalence of serum antibody to enzootic bovine leukosis (EBL), blue-tongue (BT), bovine herpesvirus 1 (BHV 1) and bovine virus diarrhoea (BVD) viruses in bovine embryo donors (D) and recipients (R) from Minas Gerais State, Brazil was investigated. Of 451 sera (130 D plus 321 R) tested for antibodies against EBL virus 104 (23.1%) were positive. Of 410 sera (130 D plus 280 R) tested for antibody to BT, BHV 1 and BVD viruses the respective number of positive sera were 313 (76.3%), 209 (51.0%) and 153 (37.3%). Donors had significantly (Chi-square test, p < 0.05) higher prevalence rates of antibody than recipients to EBL and BVD viruses. The donors were 60 Bos indicus and 70 Bos taurus purebred cows. Antibody to EBL virus was significantly less common among Bos indicus.