Porcine Circovirus a Global Problem
CANADA - Porcine Circovirus-2 (PCV-2) has become a major health concern not only in the United States, but in other world regions as well, reports JoAnn Alumbaugh.Last fall, the Allen D. Leman Swine Conference featured speakers who discussed the disease’s impact and treatment protocols in Europe, Asia, Canada and the United States. We will review these reports in the next few commentaries, with a final report from U.S. experts.
In Europe, the disease was first isolated from pigs with wasting disease in 1997, reports Antonio Palomo Yague, a veterinarian with a practice in Europe. As in the U.S., PCV-2 has been associated with a number of disease syndromes in pigs, including interstitial pneumonia and lymphadenopathy, postweaning multisystemic wasting syndrome (PMWS), porcine dermatitis and nephropathy syndrome, and congenital tremors.
The disease doesn’t distinguish between large or small farms, high-health status herds or low health herds, and it is commonly associated with other diseases. According to Yague, presence of PCV-2 is essential for the development of PMWS; however, other conditions are often associated with development of the syndrome.
“Commonly presented clinical signs in Europe include wasting, tremors, enlarged lymph nodes, pallor, jaundice, hyperthermia and diarrhea,” he says. “Morbidity and mortality rates associated with PMWS vary, depending on the stage of the outbreak and management issues, such as overcrowding, commingling, and age groups.”
Source: Farms.com