Tag: PCV2

Molecular detection of Porcine Reproductive and Respiratory Syndrome virus, Porcine Circovirus 2 and Hepatitis E virus in oral fluid compared to their detection in feces and serum

This is our Friday rubric: every week a new Science Page from the Bob Morrison’s Swine Health Monitoring Project. The previous editions of the science page are available on our website.

Doctors Plut, Kamnikar-Ciglenecki and Stukeli from the University of Ljubljana (Slovenia) highlight the usefulness of pig oral fluid (OF) to detect Porcine Reproductive and Respiratory Syndrome Virus (PRRSV), Porcine Circovirus Type 2 (PCV2) and Hepatitis E virus (HEV) in different pig age categories. Read here the full article published in BMC Veterinary Research.

Key Points

  • OF, feces and serum were evaluated for the detection of PRRSV, PCV2 and HEV in six farms.
  • OF samples had good agreement with serum sample PCR results for the detection of all three viruses.
  • The study highlights that pooled samples can potentially be used to investigate viral presence on farms.
Continue reading “Molecular detection of Porcine Reproductive and Respiratory Syndrome virus, Porcine Circovirus 2 and Hepatitis E virus in oral fluid compared to their detection in feces and serum”

Reduction of Porcine Circovirus type 2 prevalence in the US due to vaccination

Dr. Mike Murtaugh’s team just recently published a scientific article in Veterinary Microbiology assessing the difference in Porcine Circovirus type 2 (PCV2) prevalence in the US between 2006 and 2012. The conclusion of their study is that the widespread utilization of effective vaccines dramatically decreased  the prevalence of the virus in American herds.

Abstract: Porcine circovirus type 2 (PCV2), a small, single-stranded circular DNA virus and the causative agent of porcine circovirus associated disease (PCVAD), was first observed in the mid-1990s in pigs with a post-weaning wasting disease. In 2006 the number of PCVAD cases greatly increased, marking it as an important viral pathogen for the United States (US) swine industry. PCV2 vaccines were introduced to the US in 2006 in response to widespread outbreaks of PCVAD. These vaccines were effective in preventing disease, but did not eliminate virus from the animals. In 2006, prior to vaccine use, a study of PCV2 prevalence in pig herds across the US was performed in conjunction with the US National Animal Health Monitoring System. In 2012, 6 years after widespread PCV2 vaccination, this study was repeated. Since the introduction of PCV2 vaccines in 2006, viral presence and viral loads have greatly decreased, and a genotypic shift dominated by PCV2b has occurred. Antibody levels have decreased in the pig population, but approximately 95% of sites continue to be antibody-positive. Widespread vaccination has controlled PCVAD and decreased PCV2 prevalence to the point that viremia is not detected on many sites. Thus, continued vaccination may lead to PCV2 elimination in the national herd over time.

Link to the full article