Emergency Vaccination Alleviates Highly Pathogenic PRRS Virus Infection after Contact Exposure

Emergency vaccination could effectively alleviate infection by a highly pathogenic form of porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome (PRRS) virus during experimental contact exposure, according to new research from China.
calendar icon 26 February 2013
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Xiao Li and colleagues at Northwest A&F University in Yangling, China have published a study on the efficacy of emergency vaccination against a highly pathogenic PRRS virus (HPPRRSV) in BMC Veterinary Research.

To assess the effectiveness of emergency vaccination for reducing the contact-induced infection and pathological damage caused by the HPPRRSV, 20 pigs were equally divided into four groups. Groups 1, 2 and 3 were housed in one unit, whereas Group 4 was separately housed. Group 1 was challenged with HPPRRSV on day 0. Group 2 and 4 did not receive treatment and were used as the contact-infected and uninfected controls, respectively. Group 3 was treated with the attenuated vaccine at 0 days post-inoculation. The rectal temperatures, clinical signs, pathologic lesions and viraemia of the piglets were detected and evaluated.

The vaccinated pigs in Group 3 showed less clinical morbidity, viraemia, temperature fluctuations and lung lesions at 14 days post-inoculation than the contact-infected (Group 2) and experimentally infected (Group 1) pigs. Higher serum IFN-gamma levels were detected among the pigs that received emergency immunisation. Thus, IFN-gamma may be involved in immunity against HPPRRSV infection.

The Yangling-based researchers concluded that emergency vaccination could effectively alleviate HPPRRSV infection during experimental contact exposure. They added that their findings provide a novel and useful strategy for controlling clinical HPPRRSV.

Reference

Li X., L. Qiu, Z. Yang, R. Dang and X. Wang. 2013. Emergency vaccination alleviates highly pathogenic porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome virus infection after contact exposure. BMC Veterinary Research, 9:26. doi:10.1186/1746-6148-9-26

Further Reading

You can view the full report (as a provisional PDF) by clicking here.

Find out more information on Porcine Reproductive Respiratory Syndrome (PRRS) by clicking here.

February 2013

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