Eradication of bovine leukemia virus infection in commercial dairy herds using the agar gel immunodiffusion test.

Demands for bovine leukemia virus test negative breeding cattle and for semen from bovine leukemia virus test negative bulls by several countries have encouraged the eradication of bovine leukemia virus infection from selected herds in Canada. This project was undertaken to evaluate the suitability of the agar gel immunodiffusion test, standardized to detect anti-bovine leukemia virus glycoprotein antibodies, for eradication of bovine leukemia virus from commercial dairy herds. Of nine participating herds, the prevalence rate of bovine leukemia virus infection was low (less than 10%) in three, medium (11-30%) in four and high (greater than 30%) in two. The herds were tested by the agar gel immunodiffusion test, reactors were removed and the herds were then retested at regular intervals. The results indicate that it is possible to eliminate bovine leukemia virus infection from the herds after two to three cycles of agar gel immunodiffusion tests and prompt removal of the reactors.