EN
The aim of this study was to demonstrate the oceurrence of bovine foamy virus (BFV) and BFV DNA in peripheral blood leukocytes (PBLs), milk cells, and saliva of cattle serologically positive to BFV. The virus was detected by co-cultivation technique with canine thymus cells (Cf2Th) and viral DNA was quantified by the real-time PCR. Out of co-cultures from 23 cattle, BFV was found in 19, 13, and 15 samples of PBLs. milk cells and saliva, respectively, while BFV-DNA was confirmed in DNA extracted from 14 PBLs and 8 milk cells samples. All 23 saliva samples were negative. The number of BFV DNA copies in milk cells was in average over 2.5 times lower than in PBLs. The presence of BFV and viral DNA in milk and saliva samples is discussed in the context of virus spread and possible human exposure to BFV through food products of cattle origin.