Prevalence of enzootic bovine leukosis in Bulgaria.

The Enzootic bovine leukosis (EBL) is broadly spread on all continents. Due to the lack of specific means for prevention and treatment, it turns to be a serious health and economic issue for a number of countries with developed cattle farming. The aim of the present study was to establish the prevalence of EBL in Bulgaria in 2012 and the effect of the application of the State Programme for Infection Prevention and Control. Official data from the annual report of the Bulgarian Food Safety Agency (BFSA) and serological analyses for enzootic bovine leukosis conducted with commercial ELISA kits was employed. The results were statistically analysed using the method for comparison of independent proportions. The analysis of results from serological EBL survey performed in 2012 showed a high prevalence of the infection in Bulgaria (33.38% on the average) and more than 2000 foci. In the different regions of the country, the proportion of infected animals varied from 13.05% to 63.85%. After implementation of the mandatory measures for enzootic bovine leukosis prevention and control, one region was completely freed from enzootic bovine leukosis and 78 infection foci were eradicated. The results from the serological analyses for enzootic bovine leukosis performed in 2012 showed a wide prevalence of the infection in Bulgaria. The successful eradication of cattle farms is possible with strict implementation of the State Programme for EBL Prevention and Control and co-funding by the European Community. Â