Bovine leukemia virus genome sequencing and assembly

This project contains near-complete genome sequences of Bovine leukemia virus (BLV) isolated from dairy cattle in Minnesota, USA, as part of a study investigating BLV transmission pathways within dairy herds. Bovine leukemia virus is a highly prevalent retrovirus in US dairy cattle herds that negatively impacts production by reducing milk yield, increasing culling rates, and contributing to substantial economic losses. The objective of this research was to link pathogen genomic data with animal-level epidemiological data to provide inference on BLV transmission dynamics in dairy operations. Blood samples were collected from cattle during five different sampling periods. Proviral DNA was extracted from BLV test-positive samples, sequenced using Oxford Nanopore GridION technology, and assembled into near-complete genomes for phylogenetic and epidemiological analysis.