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Investigating infectious agents in porcine abortion material and stillborn piglets poses challenges for practitioners and diagnostic laboratories.
Methods: In this study, pooled samples of individual reference organs (thymus and heart) from a total of 1000 aborted fetuses and stillborn piglets were investigated using quantitative PCR protocols for porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome virus 1 (PRRSV-1) and porcine circovirus type 2 (PCV2). Simultaneously, a pluck-pool containing equivalent portions of fetal thymus, heart, and lung tissue was collected, frozen at − 20 °C, and re-analyzed when a certain amount of either PRRSV-1 RNA or PCV2 DNA was detected in individual reference organs.
Results: Thirteen pluck-pools were assessed for PRRSV-1, all being PCR-positive. For PCV2, 11 of 15 pluck-pools investigated were PCR-positive. In all pluck-pools testing negative, viral loads in individual pools were low.
Conclusion: This study indicates that pluck-pools can be valuable diagnostic material and the consolidation of multiple organs through a single RNA/DNA extraction optimizes the utilization of available laboratory resources. Additional research is required to assess the feasibility of follow-up investigations and to accurately define criteria for interpretation of viral loads in a clinical context.
Kreutzmann H, Unterweger C, Schwarz L, Dimmel K, Auer A, Rümenapf T, Ladinig A. Pluck-pools as diagnostic samples for detecting porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome virus and porcine circovirus type 2 in porcine abortion material and stillbirths. The Veterinary Journal. 2024; 304: 106081. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tvjl.2024.106081.
