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EU - Report by the OIE on Pig Disease investigations in Australia, Aujeszky's Disease in Bolivia and Classical Swine Fever in Nicaragua.
Pig Disease investigations in Australia
See also: 18 February 2005
Information received on 6 July 2005 from Dr Gardner Murray, Chief Veterinary Officer, Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry Australia (AFFA), Canberra:
Report date: 6 July 2005.
Investigations are currently being undertaken by state veterinary authorities into incidents potentially involving the disease “post-weaning multisystemic wasting syndrome” (PMWS) at two Australian piggeries, one in South Australia and one in New South Wales (NSW). These herds are subject to movement controls.
In one herd, the initial reason for suspicion of PMWS was the detection of suggestive histopathology from samples submitted from a weaner pig with jaundice.
In the other herd, suspicious histopathological changes were detected in samples submitted as part of an investigation into low levels of weaner mortality and ill-thrift.
Investigations to date have disclosed no link between the two herds under investigation.
Further investigation is required before PMWS can be diagnosed or ruled out. Findings will be assessed against criteria described in the international scientific literature for the diagnosis of this disease syndrome.
PMWS has not previously been reported in Australia. PMWS is considered to be caused by a factor or a number of factors working in conjunction with a virus, porcine circovirus type 2 (PCV2). PCV2 is known to have been present in the Australian pig herd for some time.
Aujeszky's Disease in Bolivia
(Date of previous outbreak of Aujeszky's disease in Bolivia reported to the OIE: 1999).
Immediate notification report
Translation of information received on 1 July 2005 from Dr Ernesto Salas García, National Head for Animal Health, National Service for Animal and Plant Health and Food Safety (SENASAG), Trinidad:
Report date: 24 June 2005.
Reason for immediate notification: re-occurrence of a listed disease or infection in a country or zone/compartment following a report declaring the outbreak(s) ended.
Date of first confirmation of the event: 5 May 2005.
Date of start of the event: 23 April 2005.
Nature of diagnosis: clinical and laboratory.
Details of outbreak:
| First administrative division | Lower administrative divisions | Type of epidemio-logical unit | Name of the location | Latitude | Longitude |
| Chuquisaca department | Hernando Siles province, Monteagudo district | village | Chuncusla | 19º 48' S | 64º 00' W |
| Date of start of the outbreak | Species | Number of animals in the outbreak | ||||
| susceptible | cases | deaths | destroyed | slaughtered | ||
| 23 April 2005 | sui | 4,997* | ... | 213 | 0 | 0 |
* including 3,000 animals from the intensive breeding farm ‘Los Sauces’
Diagnosis: a total of 158 sucking piglets in an intensive breeding farm (‘Los Sauces’) died within a 15-day period. This high mortality with nervous clinical signs was not notified immediately to the Official Veterinary Service. The veterinarian of the farm ‘Los Sauces’ sent 19 samples (blood sera) to the Veterinary Diagnosis and Research Laboratory. Nine samples tested positive to ELISA(1) for detection of antibodies against Aujeszky's disease virus.
Seven days later, the Official Veterinary Service of the municipality collected 159 samples (blood sera) from 10 farms located within the outbreak area. Out of these, a total of 28 samples, from a total of 4 farms, gave positive results (i.e. 17.61% of the samples taken and 0.56% of the total sampled population).
| Laboratory where diagnosis was made | Species examined | Diagnostic tests used | Results |
| Veterinary Diagnosis and Research Laboratory (LIDIVET(2)), Santa Cruz de la Sierra city | sui | ELISA(1) | positive (see details above) |
Source of outbreak or origin of infection: unknown or inconclusive (introduction of new animals/animal products?).
Control measures
A. Undertaken:
- quarantine;
- movement control inside the country;
- disinfection of infected premises/establishment(s).
B. To be undertaken: vaccination.
Treatment of affected animals: no.
Other details/comments:
- The farm ‘Los Sauces’ had a population of 3,000 animals, including 30 Belgian Landrace boars, 297 hybrid sows, 1,538 young pigs, and 226 sucking piglets.
- The affected district is characterised by its economic activity focussed on pig production. The pig population in the outbreak area consists of 4,997 animals (representing 2.32% of the pig population in Hernando Siles province, which consists of 215,758 pigs, representing 30.6% of the pig population in Chuquisaca department).
(1) ELISA: enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay
(2) LIDIVET: Laboratorio de Investigación y Diagnóstico Veterinario
Classical Swine Fever in Nicaragua
Follow-up report No. 1 (final report)See also: 1 July 2005, 22 October 2004, 15 October 2004
Translation of information received on 6 July 2005 from Dr Omar García Corrales, Director of Animal Health, Directorate General for Animal and Plant Health and Protection (DGPSA(1)), Ministry of Agriculture, Animal Production and Forestry, Managua:
End of previous report period: 24 June 2005 (see Disease Information, 18 [26], 173, dated 1 July 2005).
End of this report period: 30 June 2005.
The event is closed as regards surveillance and vaccination. Vaccination was applied to the susceptible animal population within a 7-km radius around the outbreak.
Further Information
Post-Weaning Multisystemic Wasting Syndrome (PMWS)
Aujeszky's Disease
Classical Swine Fever
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