Detection of PRRSV-1 in tongue fluids under experimental and field conditions and comparison of different sampling material for PRRSV sow herd monitoring.

Background: Infection with porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome virus (PRRSV) leads to significant economic losses worldwide. One of the initial measures following an outbreak is to stabilise the herd and to prevent vertical transmission of PRRSV. The objective of this study was to detect PRRSV in different sampling material, both in an experimental model and on a commercial piglet producing farm, with a focus on evaluating the suitability of tongue fluid samples.

Duration of maternally derived antibodies of porcine parvovirus in growing pigs and presence of antibodies in gilts and sows vaccinated with three different parvovirus vaccines.

While gilts and sows are regularly vaccinated against the porcine parvovirus (PPV), little is known on the presence of antibodies in vaccinated sows nor the decline of maternally derived antibodies (MDA) in their offspring. On twelve farms serum samples were taken from 180 gilts and sows vaccinated at least twice with one of three different commercial PPV vaccines. On nine farms, additional 270 serum samples were collected from growing pigs of three different age categories.

Detection of Positive Enteropathogenic Isolates Associated with Post-Weaning Diarrhoea in an Organic Piglet-Producing Farm in Austria.

Postweaning diarrhoea (PWD) is a frequent multifactorial disease occurring in swine stocks worldwide. Since pathogenic (.) play a pivotal role in the pathogenesis of PWD and porcine are often resistant to different antibiotics, colistin is frequently applied to treat piglets with PWD.

Pluck-pools as diagnostic samples for detecting porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome virus and porcine circovirus type 2 in porcine abortion material and stillbirths.

Investigating infectious agents in porcine abortion material and stillborn piglets poses challenges for practitioners and diagnostic laboratories. 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.

Demodicosis in a Kunekune pig and molecular characterisation of porcine demodectic mites involved: a case report.

Background: In January 2021, a female 1-year-old Kunekune was presented at the University Clinic for Swine with severe reduction of the field of vision resulting in prolonged reaction time when targeting barriers, due to moderate to severe thickening of the skin around both orbits also affecting the eyelids.

Methods: Clinical examination revealed skin hyperplasia, nodular enlargement of the skin pores of the axillar and inguinal region. Ophthalmologists decided to remove parts of the thickened periocular skin, followed by histopathological examination.

Multilocus sequence typing schemes for the emerging swine pathogen Mycoplasma hyosynoviae.

Mycoplasma (M.) hyosynoviae is a commensal of the upper respiratory tract in swine, which has the potential to spread systemically, usually resulting in arthritis in fattening pigs and gilts. To date, very little is known about the epidemiology of M.

Bleeding skin lesions in gestating sows of a piglet producing farm in Austria.

Background: Stomoxys calcitrans, the stable fly, occurs in pig producing countries worldwide. While in cattle the impact of this blood sucking insect is quite well described, its role in pig production is poorly investigated. Here we describe a case of a massive stable fly overpopulation in the gestation unit of a piglet producing farm in Austria that resulted in bleeding skin lesions in bitten sows.

Retrospective Analysis of the Detection of Pathogens Associated with the Porcine Respiratory Disease Complex in Routine Diagnostic Samples from Austrian Swine Stocks.

The diagnostic workup of respiratory disease in pigs is complex due to coinfections and non-infectious causes. The detection of pathogens associated with respiratory disease is a pivotal part of the diagnostic workup for respiratory disease. We aimed to report how frequently certain viruses and bacteria were detected in samples from pigs with respiratory symptoms in the course of routine diagnostic procedures.

Litters of Various-Sized Mummies (LVSM) and Stillborns after Porcine Reproductive and Respiratory Syndrome Virus Type 1 Infection-A Case Report.

Diverse origins and causes are described for papyraceous mummifications of porcine foetuses, but the porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome virus (PRRSV) is not one of them. In contrast, PRRSV is unlikely to cause mid-term placental transmission but may cause late-term abortions and weakness of piglets. This case report describes a sudden occurrence of mummified foetuses of various sizes and stillborns and delayed birth (>115 days) in more than 50% of sows from one farrowing batch, while newborn piglets were mostly vital.

[Increased piglet losses upon exudative epidermitis - a case report].

A massive outbreak of exudative epidermitis (EE) occurred on a Western German piglet producing farm with 350 productive sows. Gilts are produced on site. In one group of piglets, more than 50% of suckling and nursery piglets were clinically affected; furthermore, gilts as well as sows showed localized blackish-squamous skin lesions in the neck area.

A single, episodic event of unilateral/bilateral scrotal swelling in a group of adult boars at an Austrian boar stud.

Background: Scrotal swelling is a clinical situation which can be caused by different aetiologies. In this case report, we describe a multi-week episode of unilateral and bilateral scrotal swelling in boars at an Austrian boar stud and its diagnostic work-up.

Case Presentation: In the summer of 2020, the herd veterinarian of an Austrian boar stud reported that over a period of six weeks, five out of 70 boars presented with unilateral severe swelling of the left scrotum and three out of 70 boars with bilateral severe swelling of the left and moderate swelling of the right scrotum, respectively.

Gene expression of peripheral blood mononuclear cells and CD8 T cells from gilts after PRRSV infection.

Porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome virus (PRRSV) is a positive-stranded RNA virus, which emerged in Europe and U.S.A.

Network analysis of pig movement data as an epidemiological tool: an Austrian case study.

Animal movements represent a major risk for the spread of infectious diseases in the domestic swine population. In this study, we adopted methods from social network analysis to explore pig trades in Austria. We used a dataset of daily records of swine movements covering the period 2015-2021.

A Pig Model to Assess Skin Lesions after Apomorphine Application.

Owing to their similarities, pigs are often used as experimental models for humans. In particular, the similarity of the skin allows them to be a good dermatological model. The aim of the study was to develop an animal model in conventional domestic pigs to evaluate skin lesions macroscopically and histologically after a continuous subcutaneous apomorphine application.

Risk factors associated with post-weaning diarrhoea in Austrian piglet-producing farms.

Post-weaning diarrhoea (PWD) is a frequent, multifactorial disease of piglets leading to increased mortality rates and high economic losses. Due to the emergence of multi-resistant Escherichia coli isolates and the ban of zinc oxide (ZnO) in the EU since June 2022, alternative measures to prevent PWD are urgently needed. While an abundance of feed supplements is described to prevent PWD, there are hardly any studies reflecting the current situation of PWD in the field.

Quantitative Analysis of Inflammatory Uterine Lesions of Pregnant Gilts with Digital Image Analysis Following Experimental PRRSV-1 Infection.

Reproductive disorders caused by porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome virus-1 are not yet fully characterized. We report QuPath-based digital image analysis to count inflammatory cells in 141 routinely, and 35 CD163 immunohistochemically stained endometrial slides of vaccinated or unvaccinated pregnant gilts inoculated with a high or low virulent PRRSV-1 strain. To illustrate the superior statistical feasibility of the numerical data determined by digital cell counting, we defined the association between the number of these cells and endometrial, placental, and fetal features.

Influence of deoxynivalenol-contaminated feed on the immune response of pigs after PRRSV vaccination and infection.

The impact of the Fusarium mycotoxin deoxynivalenol (DON) on the immune response against porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome virus (PRRSV) vaccination and infection was investigated. Forty-two weaned piglets were separated into seven groups and received three different diets: Low DON (1.09 ppm), High DON (2.

A Conserved Stem-Loop Structure within ORF5 Is a Frequent Recombination Hotspot for Porcine Reproductive and Respiratory Syndrome Virus 1 (PRRSV-1) with a Particular Modified Live Virus (MLV) Strain.

The emergence of recombinant PRRSV strains has been observed for more than a decade. These recombinant viruses are characterized by a genome that contains genetic material from at least two different parental strains. Due to the advanced sequencing techniques and a growing number of data bank entries, the role of PRRSV recombinants has become increasingly important since they are sometimes associated with clinical outbreaks.

Serovar Icterohaemorrhagiae Failed to Establish Distinct Infection in Naïve Gilts: Lessons Learned from a Preliminary Experimental Challenge.

is a pathogen involved in fertility problems in pigs. Nevertheless, little information is available on pathogenicity, transmission, tissue tropism, and immune response. The objective of this preliminary study was to induce a diagnostically detectable infection in naïve gilts using serovar Icterohaemorrhagiae to gain the knowledge required for designing a large-scale trial.

Influence of PRRSV-1 vaccination and infection on mononuclear immune cells at the maternal-fetal interface.

Porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome virus (PRRSV) is one of the most devastating viruses for the global swine industry. Infection during late gestation causes reproductive failure but the local immune response remains poorly understood. In this study, an experimental PRRSV-infection model with two different PRRSV-1 field isolates was used to investigate the immune cell phenotypes at the maternal-fetal interface during late gestation.

Cystic endometrial hyperplasia and uterine adenocarcinoma in two miniature pigs.

Due to the increasing popularity of minipigs as pets, the frequency of presentation to the veterinarian is increasing as well. In addition to routine measures such as claw trimming, vaccination and antiparasitic treatment, diagnostics, and therapy of diseased minipigs are also common activities in the veterinary practice. In recent years, we have noticed more and more pathological changes of the female genital tract of uncastrated minipigs.

Characterization of the immune system of Ellegaard Göttingen Minipigs - An important large animal model in experimental medicine.

Interest in Ellegaard Göttingen Minipigs (EGMs) as a model in experimental medicine is continuously growing. The aim of this project is to increase the knowledge of the immune system of EGMs as information is still scarce. Therefore, we studied the postnatal maturation of their immune system from birth until 126 weeks of age.