Effects of subclinical bovine leukemia virus infection on some production parameters in a dairy farm in southern Turkey

Abstract

Some production parameters of seropositive cows (age, first calving age, 305 day mature equivalent last milk yield production, lifetime mature equivalent milk yield production, lifetime total milk production, lifetime total milking period, lifetime monthly milk production, lifetime daily milk production, lifetime total days of milking, number of inseminations per pregnancy (for last pregnancy), number of calves and calving interval (for last pregnancy)) were analysed in the current study. The study population was clinically healthy Holstein cows from a commercial dairy herd in southern Turkey. Of 109 animals, 65 cows were seropositive by ELISA and the prevalence of bovine leukemia virus (BLV) infection was 59.6 %. The prevalence of seropositive cows in 2nd (62.8 %), 3rd (64.7 %), 4th (61.5 %), and 5th (66.6 %) lactations was slightly higher than that of cows in 1st (52.6 %) lactations. No statistical differences were observed between BLV seronegative and seropositive cows for production and reproduction parameters analysed in this study (P > 0.05).