Coexistence of enzootic nasal adenocarcinoma and jaagsiekte retrovirus infection in sheep

Abstract

Ten sheep naturally affected with enzootic nasal adenocarcinoma (ENA), a disease associated with ovine enzootic nasal tumour virus (ENTV-1), were found also to be infected with jaagsiekte sheep retrovirus (JSRV), the causal agent of ovine pulmonary adenocarcinoma (OPA). Only one of the sheep showed OPA lung lesions. The animals belonged to 10 flocks located in a geographical area in which OPA is frequently seen. ENTV-1 was found in all the ENA tumours but only occasionally in extra-tumoral sites, confirming the results of a previous study. In contrast, JSRV had a disseminated tissue distribution, similar to that previously reported for animals infected with JSRV. However, the occurrence of JSRV in lymphoid tissues was clearly greater than in sheep infected with JSRV but with no lesions of ENA. The data suggested a synergistic relationship between ENTV-1 and JSRV, resulting in increased proliferation of JSRV.