Abstract
This study aimed to determine the presence of CAEV infection in blood and milk samples of goats collected from various regions of Turkey, using ELISA and PCR techniques and molecular characterization of local viruses. Data was collected from 435 blood samples and 285 milk samples from 8 goat production companies in 6 provinces (Ankara, Eski?ehir, Kütahya, Antalya, Burdur, K?rklareli) in Central Anatolia, Aegean, Mediterranean and Marmara regions. All blood and serum samples were examined for antibodies against ELISA and CAE viruses. Nested PCR tests were done on 70 blood samples and 16 milk samples, using specific primaries in the gag region to detect CAE virus nucleic acid. Of the 435 blood samples, 37 (8.5%) tested positive by ELISA and 14 (4.9%) of the 285 milk samples. PCR results were positive for 14 of the selected 70 leucocyte samples and 8 of the selected 16 milk samples. Two blood samples and 3 milk samples that tested positive with PCR in the field were cloned in plasmide, and the gag gene region sequence of the virus was analyzed. The results were consistent, and similar phylogenetically to CAEV and SRLV viruses in terms of the known partial gag gene levels in Turkey. This study suggests that it is necessary to determine CAEV infection using ELISA techniques at regular intervals in order to identify the molecular characteristics of circulating viruses rather than detecting infection with PCR tests. The study also indicates that milk samples are important for detecting CAEV infection, and can be used in for diagnosing infection.