Abstract:
Small ruminant lentiviruses
(SRLVs) pose significant economic
challenges to goat farming and have a
detrimental impact on animal welfare. The
objectives of this study were to deepen our
comprehension of SRLV infections and their
implications for small ruminant farming.
Within the studied herd, the detected
seroprevalence of SRLV was notably high at
91.92% (95.0% CI: 86.5%–97.3%). This
finding strongly suggests the enduring
presence of SRLV infection within the goat
farm, spanning multiple years. Antibodies
against SRLVs were detected across all
selected age categories and breeds,
irrespective of the presence or absence of
clinical signs. The data gleaned from this
study allow significant implications, raising
concerns about the potential for future
clinical outbreaks resulting from SRLV
infections in eastern Romanian goat herds.
Given these findings, the imperative for the
continuous surveillance of SRLV infections
becomes evident. Ongoing vigilance and
monitoring are essential to mitigate the risk
of disease transmission, minimise economic
losses and safeguard the welfare of goats
within the region.
