Norfolk vet Stephen Youngs, of Woodger, Dennis & Wilkins' Harleston practice, looks at EBL and its long-term consequences for the UK dairy industry. Enzootic Bovine Leukosis (EBL) is a rare disease in the UK, but unless it can be eradicated, it couldstill have a potentially harmful effect on the dairy industry. EBL is caused by an infectious virus. The majority of animals exposed to EBL become immune without developing any clinical signs, However, in a few individuals the virus can produce a leukaemia (cancer of the white blood cells) which may lead on to multiple tumours throughout the body. The slow onset of disease means that clinical signs are rarely seen in cattle under three years old. The commonest signs of EBL infection are weight loss, reduced milk yield and enlarged turnerous lymph glands. However, it should be noted there are many different causes of tumours in cattle, EBL being just one of them.
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