Page 4 of articles about PCV2 in Articles

A summary of current knowledge to address frequently asked questions from producers and practitioners on PCV2-associated reproductive disease.

Given the high prevalence of the infection due to the PCV2 and its presence in healthy and sick animals, the serological tests against this pathogen have been questioned as a diagnostic test.

Over the last several years, new sampling, monitoring and diagnostic tools for the swine industry that are faster, simpler and more cost effective have been developed and validated. One of these techniques is the sampling and use of oral fluids (saliva) as specimens for diagnostics in swine.

Available data indicate that PCV2 has the ability to modulate the immune response, not only during the obvious overt disease but also in a subclinically infection.

One issue is to overcome maternal immunity, which is true for all PCV2 vaccines in the market, and another is whether the most from these vaccines is achieved independently of the PCV2 antibody titre at vaccination

The most common problems are due to interference with maternal antibodies and coincidence of vaccination with a recirculation of PRRS: viremic animals.

Anecdotal evidence from pig producers and veterinarians in the field suggests that there are genotype differences in susceptibility to PCVAD

Abortions are not always witnessed in yards or extensive systems. Evidence is provided by sudden weight loss and a vulval discharge.

The performance and conformation of the pig (the phenotype) depend on the combined effects of its genetic make-up (the genotype), which is mostly fixed at conception, and the environment, which includes health, nutrition, management, housing and climate.

We may have some highly efficient vaccines, but we shouldn’t forget that for their application we must obtain good diagnostic information, and that in all cases we should not lose sight of good management and a good control of the concomitant diseases.

Between 1995 and 1997, at the beginning of an epizootic called “maladie de l’amagrissement du porcelet” (MAP), it was observed that the farms that were most affected and that had the most losses, generally presented obvious deviations from what we would consider to be a suitable management of the animals and facilities. This is why Dr. François Madec made a list of management practices with the aim of improving the anomalous situation observed.

The first swine influenza viruses were all H1N1 and were for about 60 years in North America. In the middle 1980’s, there appeared in European pigs H3N2 viruses that were derived originally from humans and had adapted to pigs and were therefore known as human-like H3N2 viruses. These viruses have since appeared in other parts of the world most notably as H3N2 in the USA in 1998. These viruses however contained bits of human, avian and swine viruses and were therefore called triple re-assortants.

The aim of this article is to discuss those differentiating topics which are relevant from a practical point of view and which in some way elude the disease's definition.

The autopsy is always an important diagnostic element for the majority of diseases, and this is the same for porcine circovirosis.

Control of PCV2 infections are increasingly through piglet vaccination now that global supplies are increasing.