Description of risk factors associated with the detection of BVDV antibodies in Brazilian pig herds

Bovine viral diarrhea virus (BVDV) infects ruminants as primary hosts. However, other animals like pigs are susceptible. This study was conducted to investigate seroprevalence and risk factors associated with the detection of BVDV antibodies in pig herds. A total of 1.705 serum samples of 33 finisher herds, from seven Brazilian states, were collected in slaughterhouses. The samples were tested by virus neutralization (VN) test. In total, 5.35% (91/1.705) were positive and 64% (21/33) of the herds had positive animals. A significant association with “trucks are not cleaned and disinfected” and “visitors do not respect 72-h interval between visits to farms” (P?<?0.05) was found in association with detection of BVDV-2 antibodies. This study suggests that important biosecurity gaps are present in Brazilian pig farms, as the presence of BVDV antibodies in pigs suggests (direct or indirect) contact with population(s) of ruminant species. Closing biosecurity gaps prevents spread of BVDV and other pathogens such as foot-and-mouth disease virus (FMDV) between pig and ruminant farms. This data should be taken in account by CSF surveillance programs, once cross-reaction in serologic tests between classical swine fever virus (CSFV) and BVDV antibodies has been shown to occur.     

上海地区规模化猪场牛病毒性腹泻病毒感染状况的血清学调查

为调查猪瘟疫苗是否会引起牛病毒性腹泻的发生及上海地区规模化猪场该病的流行情况,本试验采用酶联免疫吸附试验方法,对分别免疫接种3种猪瘟疫苗的57头试验猪以及上海地区2005年-2009年10个区(县)共740份血清进行了牛病毒性腹泻病毒(BVDV)抗原和抗体的检测.经检测,所有样品抗原和抗体均为阴性.结果表明,免疫猪瘟脾...     

Detection and quantification of classical swine fever virus in air samples originating from infected pigs and experimentally produced aerosols

During epidemics of classical swine fever (CSF), neighbourhood infections occurred where none of the 'traditional' routes of transmission like direct animal contact, swill feeding, transport contact or transmission by people could be identified. A hypothesized route of virus introduction for these herds was airborne transmission. In order to better understand this possible transmission route, we developed a method to detect and quantify classical swine fever virus (CSFV) in air samples using gelatine filters. The air samples were collected from CSFV-infected pigs after experimental aerosolization of the virus. Furthermore, we studied the viability of the virus with time in aerosolized state. Three strains of CSFV were aerosolized in an empty isolator and air samples were taken at different time intervals. The virus remained infective in aerosolized state for at least 30 min with half-life time values ranging from 4.5 to 15 min. During animal experiments, concentrations of 10(0.3)-10(1.6)TCID(50)/m(3) CSFV were detected in air samples originating from the air of the pig cages and 10(0.4)-10(4.0)TCID(50)/m(3) from the expired air of infected animals. This is the first study describing the isolation and quantification of CSFV from air samples originating from infected pigs and their cages, supporting previous findings that airborne transmission of CSF is feasible.     

牛病毒性腹泻病毒感染对猪瘟免疫的影响

猪瘟病毒（CSFV）与同属的牛病毒性腹泻病病毒（BVDV）同源性较高,抗原性上有交叉。本次调查对368份猪瘟免疫猪血清样本进行BVDV抗原检测,其中7份呈阳性,阳性率1.90%。对7份BVDV阳性血清采用ELISA和IHA两种方法检测猪瘟（CSFV）抗体水平,抗体合格率偏低,两者的结果符合率为71%。研究表明：BVDV在一定程度上干扰了猪瘟疫苗的免疫效果,影响抗体水平。     

表达猪瘟病毒E2蛋白的重组腺病毒对猪的免疫效力评价

为了进一步验证含有猪瘟病毒E2基因的重组腺病毒（rAdV—E2）在猪体上的免疫效力,将rAdV—E2按108TCID50／头接种猪2次,同时用野生型腺病毒wtAdV作为阴性对照,当抗体上升到一定程度后用致死剂量的猪瘟强毒石门株进行攻击。结果表明,rAdV—E2免疫组（n=5）所有免疫猪在加强免疫后均产生了猪瘟特异性中和抗体,并于加强免疫后3w达到峰值,攻毒后所有猪只抗体迅速升高,除了一头猪短期体温升高外,未出现任何其它临床症状;而野生型腺病毒wtAdV免疫组（n=5）猪只在攻毒前一直没有检出特异性抗体,攻毒后全部出现典型的猪瘟临床症状和严重的病毒血症,剖检时可见典型猪瘟病理变化。这表明构建的猪瘟病毒E2基因重组腺病毒rAdV—E2免疫猪后产生了很好的免疫效果,有望成为具有开发价值的活载体疫苗。     

牛病毒性腹泻病毒RT-PCR检测方法的建立及应用

根据GenBank中登录的牛病毒性腹泻病毒(BVDV)基因序列,设计合成了1对特异性引物,建立了检测BVDV的RT-PCR方法。通过对该方法的特异性、敏感性和重复性进行试验,结果显示,该方法可从BVDV标准毒株Oregon C24V中扩增出471 bp的特异性片段,而对猪瘟病毒、牛传染性鼻气管炎病毒、牛呼吸道合胞体病毒、牛副流感病毒、MDBK正常细胞的扩增结果均为阴性。经对标准毒株的细胞毒进行检测,其敏感度达10^-1 TCID₅₀/mL。应用该方法对临床腹泻病牛各脏器样品进行检测,结果比病毒分离方法更为敏感,操作简便。表明建立的RT-PCR方法具有特异、灵敏、高效、快速的特点,可用于BVDV的临床检测及流行病学监测。     

单克隆抗体捕捉猪瘟病毒抗原ELISA方法的建立

分别用原核表达的猪瘟病毒（CSFV）主要抗原E2蛋白和猪瘟基因疫苗免疫BALB/c小鼠,通过细胞融合与克隆筛选出5株稳定分泌CSFV抗体的杂交瘤细胞株1E2、1G7、3A2、3B7和4B6.间接免疫荧光和Western-blotting试验结果表明,5株单抗均与CSFV E2蛋白和全病毒抗原反应.将筛选的CSFV特异性单抗1E2、3B7和4B6纯化后等量混合后包被酶标板（捕捉抗体）,与兔抗CSFV IgG（检测抗体）联合应用,建立起CSFV抗原捕捉ELISA（AC-ELISA）方法.随后采用方阵滴定法确定了单抗与多抗的最适工作浓度及判定检测结果的OD450临界值.最后以建立的AC-ELISA检测CSFV细胞培养物、CSFV攻毒死亡猪的病料和临床猪瘟组织样品,结果表明,该方法敏感、特异、重复性好,与病毒分离和RT-PCR方法符合率分别为86.2%和90.3%.     

Development of a classical swine fever subunit marker vaccine and companion diagnostic test

The development of a classical swine fever (CSF) subunit marker vaccine, based on viral envelope glycoprotein E2, and a companion diagnostic test, based on a second viral envelope glycoprotein E(RNS), will be described. Important properties of the vaccine, such as onset and duration of immunity, and prevention of horizontal and vertical transmission of virus were evaluated. A single dose of the vaccine protected pigs against clinical signs of CSF, following intranasal challenge with 100LD(50) of virulent classical swine fever virus (CSFV) at 2 weeks after vaccination. However, challenge virus transmission to unvaccinated sentinels was not always completely inhibited at this time point. From 3 weeks up to 6 months after vaccination, pigs were protected against clinical signs of CSF, and no longer transmitted challenge virus to unvaccinated sentinels. In contrast, unvaccinated control pigs died within 2 weeks after challenge. We also evaluated transmission of challenge virus in a setup enabling determination of the reproduction ratio (R value) of the virus. In such an experiment, transmission of challenge virus is determined in a fully vaccinated population at different time points after vaccination. Pigs challenged at 1 week after immunization died of CSF, whereas the vaccinated sentinels became infected, seroconverted for E(RNS) antibodies, but survived. At 2 weeks after vaccination, the challenged pigs seroconverted for E(RNS) antibodies, but none of the vaccinated sentinels did. Thus, at 1 week after vaccination, R1, and at 2 weeks, R=0, implying no control or control of an outbreak, respectively. Vertical transmission of CSFV to the immune-incompetent fetus may lead to the birth of highly viraemic, persistently infected piglets which are one of the major sources of virus spread. Protection against transplacental transmission of CSFV in vaccinated sows was, therefore, tested in once and twice vaccinated sows. Only one out of nine once-vaccinated sows transmitted challenge virus to the fetus, whereas none of the nine twice-vaccinated sows did. Finally, our data show that the E(RNS) test detects CSFV-specific antibodies in vaccinated or unvaccinated pigs as early as 14 days after infection with a virulent CSF strain. This indicates that the E2 vaccine and companion test fully comply with the marker vaccine concept. This concept implies the possibility of detecting infected animals within a vaccinated population.     

Generation and efficacy evaluation of a recombinant adenovirus expressing the E2 protein of classical swine fever virus

Classical swine fever virus (CSFV) is the causative agent of classical swine fever (CSF), which causes significant economic losses to the pig industry worldwide. The E2 glycoprotein of CSFV is the main target for neutralizing antibodies. This study was aimed to develop a recombinant human adenovirus type 5 expressing the CSFV E2 gene (rAdV-E2) and evaluate its efficacy in rabbits and pigs. The results showed that the rabbits and the pigs immunized with the rAdV-E2 developed high-level CSFV-specific neutralizing antibodies. The rAdV-E2-immunized rabbits were protected from fever induced by infection with C-strain, which is pathogenic to the rabbit, and the rAdV-E2-immunized pigs were protected from lethal challenge with highly virulent Shimen strain. This indicates that the recombinant adenovirus can be an attractive candidate vaccine for preventing CSF.     

Role of birds in transmission of classical swine fever virus

Active transmission of classical swine fever virus (CSFV) was studied in six birds (five ravens, one hooded crow) and two laying hens. Cloacal swabs, blood and organs of birds and hens as well as blood and organ samples of pigs which had been fed with faeces derived from CSFV infected birds or which had come in contact with faeces of infected hens were negative for CSFV. None of the animals seroconverted during the study. This result demonstrates that active virus transmission by these animals is unlikely. Dissemination of CSFV from wild boar to domestic pigs is discussed.     

Multiple outbreaks of severe acute BVDV in North America occurring between 1993 and 1995 linked to the same BVDV2 strain

The first reported outbreak of bovine viral diarrhea (BVD) in 1946 described a transmissible acute disease characterized by severe leukopenia, high fever, gastrointestinal erosions and hemorrhages. However, in the ensuing years, the most commonly observed acute form of BVD was clinically mild. There was limited viral shed and spread following these acute infections. This led to the assumptions that acute infections with BVD viruses (BVDV) were clinically unimportant, spread of the virus within a group was always due to the presence of a persistently infected animal and transmission between healthy immunocompetent cattle was insignificant. These assumptions were challenged when outbreaks of severe acute BVDV were observed in North America starting in the late 1980s. This study demonstrates that widespread outbreaks of severe acute BVD observed in 1993 in North America can be traced to a single strain of BVDV that apparently spread explosively following acute infection. These findings are notable in that they draw into question management of acute BVD infection, design of studies examining virulence and nomenclature used to identify strains for GenBank submission.     

Oral immunisation of swine with a classical swine fever vaccine (Chinese strain) and transmission studies in rabbits and sheep

Seven experiments including a total of 47 pigs, 11 wild boars, 26 rabbits, 10 hares and 16 sheep were carried out to assess the efficacy, safety and transmission of the Chinese vaccine strain of the classical swine fever virus (CSFV) administrated by the oral route. Within 3 weeks after oral vaccination, a clear seroconversion occurred in the pigs. Six weeks after vaccination, vaccinated pigs were fully protected against a virulent challenge. The C-strain was not isolated from tonsils, spleen, lymph nodes, thymus, saliva, urine and faeces of pigs within 4 days after oral vaccination. In one experiment, susceptible pigs were placed in direct contact with vaccinated pigs. None of these contact-exposed pigs became serologically positive for CSFV antibodies. It is concluded that the C-strain induces protection in pigs when administrated by the oral route and is not shed by vaccinated pigs. Serum anti-CSFV antibodies developed in seven out of eight wild boars vaccinated by the oral route. No vaccine virus was detected in the spleen and tonsils of these animals. The results in wild boar were in accordance with those obtained in domestic pigs. Sheep did not show any clinical signs after oral vaccination while rabbits had moderate hyperthermia and growth retardation. No clinical response to oral immunisation in hares was detected. At the end of the experiment, no sheep had detectable serum antibodies against CSFV, whereas a few vaccinated rabbits and hares became seropositive. None of the contact-exposed rabbits and hares seroconverted. These data indicate that the C-strain is safe for sheep and as expected, moderately or not pathogenic for rabbits and hares. These efficacy and safety studies on oral vaccination with the C-strain under experimental conditions provide essential information for further studies in wild boars under experimental and field conditions, including assays with baits to control a CSF epidemic.     

牛病毒性腹泻病毒在猪瘟疫苗中的污染情况及其检测方法的研究进展

牛病毒性腹泻病毒(bovine viral diarrhea virus,BVDV)和猪瘟病毒(classical swine fever virus,CSFV)同属黄病毒科瘟病毒属,猪瘟疫苗中污染BVDV可引起免疫失败。但由于两者在病毒粒子结构、基因组结构和抗原特性等方面均很接近,在血清学上存在交叉反应,因此难以检测猪瘟疫苗中污染的BVDV。文章对BVDV在猪瘟疫苗中的污染情况和检测方法进行了论述,旨在为猪瘟疫苗污染BVDV的检测提供理论基础。     

猪圆环病毒2型感染对猪瘟疫苗体液免疫应答的影响

采用ELISA方法对单独接种猪瘟疫苗组(CSFV组,n=3)、PCV2感染且出现病毒血症后接种猪瘟疫苗组(PCV2/CSFV组,n=3)及PCV2感染同时接种猪瘟疫苗组(CSFV/PCV2组,n=3)不同时相血清中的猪瘟抗体进行检测;并对PCV2感染对照组(PCV2组)及PCV2/CSFV和CSFV/PCV2组血清中PCV2特异的抗体和核酸分别进行ELISA和PCR检测.结果表明,在接种后52 d CSFV组血清中抗体的阻断值显著高于CSFV/PCV2组(P<0.05);接种后42 d和52 d CSFV组平均抗体效价明显高于PCV2/CSFV和CSFV/PCV2组,其中在52 d CSFV组抗体阳性率这100%(3/3)而PCV2/CSFV和CSFV/PCV2在相应时相抗体阳性率仅为67%(2/3).结果提示PCV2感染可在一定程度上抑制猪瘟疫苗特异性的抗体反应.     

The influence of maternal immunity on the efficacy of a classical swine fever vaccine against classical swine fever virus,genogroup 2.2, infection

In Thailand, where vaccination is routinely employed, there has been an increased incidence of chronic classical swine fever (CSF) outbreaks during the past decade. The major causative virus has been identified to be the moderate virulence, classical swine fever virus (CSFV) of the genogroup 2.2. An investigation was made into the efficacy of a CSF vaccine against this genogroup 2.2 challenge. Five-week-old pigs, grouped by their level of passive antibody titer were immunized with lapinized Chinese-strain CSF vaccine and challenged with CSFV genogroup 2.2, 13 days after vaccination. The group containing passive titers of lower than 64 at the time of immunization, had significantly higher number of CSFV-specific IFN-gamma secreting cells and was completely protected against the challenge. Interestingly, both cellular and antibody responses were inhibited in the pigs with the higher passive titer. Furthermore, following challenge, CSFV could be isolated from 50% of the pigs in this group. It was demonstrated that the CSF vaccine could induce complete protection in pigs, provided that the maternal derived titer at the time of vaccination was lower than 64. The result implied that an increase in CSFV outbreaks might be due to the inappropriate timing of vaccination as well as the nature of the CSFV genogroup 2.2.     

Duration of the protection of an E2 subunit marker vaccine against classical swine fever after a single vaccination

The period during which pigs are protected after vaccination is important for the successful usage of a marker vaccine against classical swine fever virus (CSFV) in an eradication programme. In four animal experiments with different vaccination-challenge intervals we determined the duration of protection of an E2 subunit marker vaccine in pigs after a single vaccination. Unvaccinated pigs were included in each group to detect transmission of the challenge virus.Three groups of six pigs were vaccinated once and subsequently inoculated with the virulent CSFV strain Brescia after a vaccination-challenge interval of 3, 51/2, 6 or 13 months. All vaccinated pigs, 16 out of 18, with neutralising antibodies against CSFV at the moment of challenge, 3, 51/2, 6 or 13 months later, survived, whereas unvaccinated control pigs died from acute CSF or were killed being moribund. A proportion of the vaccinated pigs did however develop fever or cytopenia after challenge and two vaccinated pigs were viremic after challenge. Virus transmission of vaccinated and challenged pigs to unvaccinated sentinel pigs did not occur in groups of pigs which were challenged 3 or 6 months after a single vaccination. Two out of eight vaccinated pigs that were found negative for CSFV neutralising antibody at 13 months after vaccination died after subsequent challenge.The findings in this study demonstrate that pigs can be protected against a lethal challenge of CSFV for up to 13 months after a single vaccination with an E2 subunit marker vaccine.     

Pathogenicity of a bovine viral diarrhoea virus strain in pregnant sows: short communication

The biological properties of bovine viral diarrhoea virus (BVDV) strain Oregon C24V were studied after intranasal and subcutaneous infection of pregnant sows. This virus strain is widely used in Hungary for immunising cattle against bovine viral diarrhoea (BVD). Based upon the results of the clinical, gross pathological, histopathological and virological examinations it can be established that the given strain caused asymptomatic infection and serological conversion in sows that were in the second third of gestation. The virus caused clinically apparent disease in some of the piglets born at term, which indicates that it had crossed the placenta. More than half (57%) of the live-born piglets died within 60 days of birth. The sows and their progeny did not shed the virus. BVDV infection has great differential diagnostic importance in pigs, as classical swine fever (CSF) virus strains of reduced virulence cause similar clinical symptoms and gross and histopathological changes.     

Efficacy of a live attenuated vaccine in classical swine fever virus postnatally persistently infected pigs

Classical swine fever (CSF) causes major losses in pig farming, with various degrees of disease severity. Efficient live attenuated vaccines against classical swine fever virus (CSFV) are used routinely in endemic countries. However, despite intensive vaccination programs in these areas for more than 20 years, CSF has not been eradicated. Molecular epidemiology studies in these regions suggests that the virus circulating in the field has evolved under the positive selection pressure exerted by the immune response to the vaccine, leading to new attenuated viral variants. Recent work by our group demonstrated that a high proportion of persistently infected piglets can be generated by early postnatal infection with low and moderately virulent CSFV strains. Here, we studied the immune response to a hog cholera lapinised virus vaccine (HCLV), C-strain, in six-week-old persistently infected pigs following post-natal infection. CSFV-negative pigs were vaccinated as controls. The humoral and interferon gamma responses as well as the CSFV RNA loads were monitored for 21 days post-vaccination. No vaccine viral RNA was detected in the serum samples and tonsils from CSFV postnatally persistently infected pigs for 21 days post-vaccination. Furthermore, no E2-specific antibody response or neutralising antibody titres were shown in CSFV persistently infected vaccinated animals. Likewise, no of IFN-gamma producing cell response against CSFV or PHA was observed. To our knowledge, this is the first report demonstrating the absence of a response to vaccination in CSFV persistently infected pigs.     

兽用疫苗中BVDV、PCV2和PPV污染三重荧光定量PCR检测方法的建立

为建立可以快速同时检测兽用疫苗中牛病毒性腹泻病毒(BVDV)、猪圆环病毒2型(PCV2)和猪细小病毒(PPV)3种病原的方法,通过研究比对BVDV 5'-UTR、PCV2 Rep以及PPV NS1基因序列,分别设计合成了3对引物和3条荧光探针,在优化反应条件和反应程序后,建立了一种可同时检测BVDV、PCV2以及PPV...     

A promising multiple-epitope recombinant vaccine against classical swine fever virus

Classical swine fever (CSF) is a highly contagious and often fatal disease of swine. It is caused by classical swine fever virus (CSFV), one of the members of the genus Pestivirus of the Flaviviridae family. The development of a safe and effective vaccine against the CSF is critical to pandemic control, this article shows a tandem-repeat multiple-epitope recombinant vaccine can protect pigs from CSFV challenge. That was composed as following: two copies each of glycoprotein E2 residues 693–707, 241–276 and 770–781, and two copies amino acid residues 1446–1460 of the non-structural protein NS2-3. In the challenge test, all of the swine vaccinated with Chinese vaccine strain (C-strain) were fully protected from a challenge with CSFV. However, after three successive vaccinations with the multiple-epitope recombinant vaccine, three out of five pigs were protected from challenge with CSFV (in terms of both clinical signs and viremia). These results demonstrate that multiple-epitope recombinant vaccine which carrying the major CSFV epitopes can induce a high level of epitope-specific antibodies and exhibit a protective capability that parallels induced by C-strain to a certain extent.