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There are few reports on the pathogenesis of scrapie (Sc) and Visna/maedi virus (VMV) coinfections. The aim of this work was to study in vivo as well as post mortem both diseases in 91 sheep. Diagnosis of Sc and VMV infections allowed the distribution of animals into five groups according to the presence (+) or absence (-) of infection by Sc and VMV: Sc-/VMV-, Sc-/VMV+, Sc+/VMV- and Sc+/VMV+. The latter was divided into two subgroups, with and without VMV-induced lymphoid follicle hyperplasia (LFH), respectively. In both the lung and mammary gland, PrPSc deposits were found in the germinal center of hyperplasic lymphoid follicles in the subgroup of Sc+/VMV+ having VMV-induced LFH. This detection was always associated with (and likely preceded by) PrPSc observation in the corresponding lymph nodes. No PrPSc was found in other VMV-associated lesions. Animals suffering from scrapie had a statistically significantly lower mean age than the scrapie free animals at the time of death, with no apparent VMV influence. ARQ/ARQ genotype was the most abundant among the 91 ewes and the most frequent in scrapie-affected sheep. VMV infection does not seem to influence the scrapie risk group distribution among animals from the five groups established in this work. Altogether, these data indicate that certain VMV-induced lesions can favor PrPSc deposits in Sc non-target organs such as the lung and the mammary gland, making this coinfection an interesting field that warrants further research for a better comprehension of the pathogenesis of both diseases., (© The authors, INRA/EDP Sciences, 2010.)

Maedi-Visna Virus (MVV) seroprevalence and its relationship with housing and mode of rearing of replacement ewe-lambs was investigated in 38 non-randomly selected sheep-flocks in Spain. They included extensive lamb-producing Manchega cross-bred flocks raised almost permanently at pasture, semi-intensive Latxa dairy flocks housed 2-8 months/year and intensively raised Assaf dairy flocks housed most time and at higher stocking density in less ventilated buildings than other flocks. Most flocks raised replacement lambs naturally with their dams until weaning and as a separate flock thereafter until lambing at one year of age. Seroprevalence (95% confidence intervals) was 77%, 25% and 5% (4-6) in intensive, semi-intensive and extensive flocks, respectively and the median (interquartile range) flock-seroprevalence was 82% (66-94) in intensive flocks, 31% (14-31) in semi-intensive flocks and 4% (0-7) in extensive flocks. Seroprevalence was lowest in one year-old sheep and increased to flock levels during the year after introduction into the adult flock in most intensive flocks and more gradually in other flocks. Adult flock seroprevalence was associated with housing time but this relationship was not evident within a particular rearing system, indicating that other unknown factors are critical in horizontal MVV-transmission. Low seroprevalence in extensive flocks further supports previous indications that lactogenic MVV-infection is relatively inefficient and horizontal transmission is necessary to ensure long-term maintenance of MVV and this could explain that MVV has not been reported from countries with mainly extensively reared sheep such as Australia and New Zealand. Moreover, it indicates that MVV-control in extensive and semi-intensive flocks can be simple and inexpensive.