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Porcine epidemic diarrhea (PED) has reemerged in Europe since 2014. Characterized by a rapid onset of diarrhea in pigs of all ages, morbidity can reach up to 100% whereas mortality is variable. The virus strains involved in the recent European outbreaks all cluster together with US strains (S INDEL) that lead to less severe clinical signs. In this study, fattening pigs and suckling piglets (n = 105) on farms with no prior PED history were monitored after an acute outbreak of the disease, caused by an S INDEL strain of PED virus (PEDV). For diagnostic investigations in the affected farms, real time RT-PCR was performed to detect PEDV RNA in individually taken fecal samples, and two commercial ELISA kits, both based on the N protein of PEDV, were used to detect IgG in serum samples of pigs experiencing acute signs of the disease. PEDV RNA could be detected in fecal samples up to 14 days after initial sampling. Comparing both ELISAs by Cohens Kappa showed substantial agreement ( κ  = 0,771). Antibodies were detectable in all fattening pigs (100%) within 10 days after the occurrence of first clinical signs and remained detectable for about two months at least in 20.6% (farm 1) and 45.7% (farm 2) of the animals, respectively. In contrast, only 18 of 34 (52.9%) suckling piglets seroconverted. Although, PEDV RNA was found in fecal samples of all piglets, 13 piglets did not demonstrate antibodies at any sampling day. PCR to detect PEDV RNA in fecal samples seems to be a reliable diagnostic tool during and after the acute outbreak. In the present study, IgG ELISA kits proved to be a feasible diagnostic tool, but age dependent differences in detection rate and persistence of antibodies need to be considered. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

One of the most frequent causes of acute viral hepatitis is hepatitis E virus (HEV) causing 20 million infections worldwide each year and 44,000 deaths. Studies on HEV in the Iberian Peninsula have been increasing through time with HEV infection being identified in humans and animals. The aim of the present systematic review was to compile and evaluate all the published data on HEV from studies performed in humans, animals and environmental samples in the Iberian Peninsula. The electronic databases Mendeley, PubMed, Scopus, and Web of Science were thoroughly searched, and research published up until February 01, 2023 were included. Resulting in a total of 151 eligible papers by full reading and application of PRISMA exclusion/inclusion criteria. Overall, the present review shows that several HEV genotypes, namely HEV-1, 3, 4, and 6 as well as Rocahepevirus, are circulating in humans, animals, and in the environment in the Iberian Peninsula. HEV-3 was the most common genotype circulating in humans in Portugal and Spain, as expected for developed countries, with HEV-1 only being detected in travelers and emigrants from HEV endemic regions. Spain is the biggest pork producer in Europe and given the high circulation of HEV in pigs, with HEV-3 being primarily associated to zoonotic transmission through consumption of swine meat and meat products, in our opinion, the introduction of an HEV surveillance system in swine and inclusion of HEV in diagnostic routines for acute and chronic human hepatitis would be important. Additionally, we propose that establishing a monitoring mechanism for HEV is crucial in order to gain a comprehensive understanding of the prevalence of this illness and the various strains present in the Iberian Peninsula, as well as their potential impact on public health., (© 2023. The Author(s).)

Background: Dermatophytosis (ringworm) caused by members of the Trichophyton mentagrophytes complex is rarely diagnosed in pigs but has been recognized as an increasingly common infection in humans. Further, resistance to antifungal drugs have been reported both in Asia and in Europe. This is the first scientific report of infection by the T. mentagrophytes complex in pigs in the Nordic countries., Case Presentation: Skin lesions developed in grower pigs in an organic fattening pig farm with outdoor production and following laboratory analyses, dermatophytosis caused by members of the T. mentagrophytes complex was diagnosed. Infection was linked to poor hygiene, high humidity, and moderate outdoor temperatures, in combination with high pig density. A farm worker developed a skin lesion after close contact with affected pigs, which highlighted the zoonotic potential of porcine dermatophytosis. The dermatophytes may have originated from the herd supplying the growers where similar lesions occurred in pigs. Further, pigs from another organic fattening herd that received growers from the same supplier herd also developed dermatophytosis. The lesions healed without treatment as the housing conditions were improved. Isolation of affected pigs prevented spread to other pigs CONCLUSION: Members of the T. mentagrophytes complex can cause ringworm in pigs. The fungi probably persist in the haircoat and may cause overt disease when environmental conditions promote growth of mycelia., (© 2023. The Author(s).)

Abstract: Porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome virus (PRRSV) causes continuous problems in the pig industry, due to high costs of outbreaks and reduced welfare of diseased pigs. The severity of infection is, partly, dependent on the virus strain. Recently isolated Eastern-European subtype 3 strains are more pathogenic than the widespread subtype 1 strains. There is, however, almost no information available about the mechanisms involved in the pathogenicity of these subtype 3 strains. The objective of the present study was to characterize the in vitro and in vivo response of two European subtype 1 strains, Belgium A and Lelystad-Ter Huurne (LV), and a virulent subtype 3 strain, Lena, in bone marrow-derived dendritic cells (BM-DC) (in vitro) and alveolar macrophages (in vitro and in vivo). It was shown that infection with the Lena strain resulted in a higher apoptosis of cells in vitro and a higher level of infectivity in vitro and in vivo than the other virus strains. Furthermore, infection with Lena resulted in a small downregulation of the immunologically relevant cell surface molecules SLA-I, SLA-II and CD80/86 in vitro, and SLA-II in vivo. In spite of these differences, in vitro cytokine responses did not differ significantly between strains, except for the absence of IL-10 production by Lena in BM-DC. The higher infectivity, apoptosis and downregulation of the cell surface molecules, may have contributed to the increased pathogenicity of Lena, and have dampened specific immune responses. This could explain the delayed and decreased adaptive immune responses observed after infections with this strain. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Antimicrobial-resistantSalmonella entericaposes a particular risk to public health, and in particular isolates belonging to clonal lineages such asSalmonellaTyphimurium DT104 cause epidemics across species including poultry. In recent years, antimicrobial-resistantS. Typhimurium DT193 and specifically the monophasicS. Typhimurium-like variants of this phage type, serotypes 4,12:i:- and 4,5,12:i:-, have become an increasing risk to public health in Europe and the USA and now account for nearly one-half of humanS. Typhimurium infections in the UK. UnlikeS. Typhimurium that possesses two forms of flagella which can vary between phase 1 and phase 2 during infection, monophasic variants possess only phase 1 flagella. These monophasic antimicrobial-resistant variants have become a major problem in pig production but human cases have also been associated with poultry consumption and have been found in UK flocks through surveillance schemes since 2010. In this study we determined the ability of antimicrobial-resistant DT193 serotype 4,12:i:- and 4,5,12:i:- isolates from pigs to infect chickens. All isolates were found to colonize the caeca and liver. All but one isolate of serotype 4,5,12:i:- also infected the spleen. Levels of infection and pathology were comparable with those found with the virulentS. Typhimurium isolate 4/74. These findings indicate that bothS. Typhimurium DT193 and monophasic variants of this phage type usually associated with pigs are capable of colonizing the chicken. This shows that bothS. Typhimurium DT193 and monophasic variants represent a significant and potential emerging threat to poultry production from “spill-over” of these isolates from the pig industry or other sources. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Abstract: Porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome (PRRS) is one of the most economically important diseases of swine worldwide. Since its first emergence in 1987 the PRRS virus (PRRSV) has become particularly divergent with highly pathogenic strains appearing in both Europe and Asia. However, the underlying mechanisms of PRRSV pathogenesis are still unclear. This study sets out to determine the differences in pathogenesis between subtype 1 and 3 strains of European PRRSV (PRRSV-I), and compare the immune responses mounted against these strains. Piglets were infected with 3 strains of PRRSV-I: Lelystad virus, 215-06 a British field strain and SU1-bel from Belarus. Post-mortem examinations were performed at 3 and 7 days post-infection (dpi), and half of the remaining animals in each group were inoculated with an Aujeszky''s disease (ADV) vaccine to investigate possible immune suppression resulting from PRRSV infection. The subtype 3 SU1-bel strain displayed greater clinical signs and lung gross pathology scores compared with the subtype 1 strains. This difference did not appear to be caused by higher virus replication, as viraemia and viral load in broncho-alveolar lavage fluid (BALF) were lower in the SU1-bel group. Infection with SU1-bel induced an enhanced adaptive immune response with greater interferon (IFN)-γ responses and an earlier PRRSV-specific antibody response. Infection with PRRSV did not affect the response to vaccination against ADV. Our results indicate that the increased clinical and pathological effect of the SU1-bel strain is more likely to be caused by an enhanced inflammatory immune response rather than higher levels of virus replication. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

To honour the 100 years anniversary of the first publication about African swine fever (ASF) a webinar with a particular focus on disease control in the smallholder sector was organized. This article is based on the webinar, summarizing the early history of ASF research, reflecting on the current global disease situation and bringing forward some suggestions that could contribute towards achieving control of ASF. The first description of ASF by R. Eustace Montgomery in 1921 laid the foundations for what we know about the disease today. Subsequent research confirmed its association with warthogs and soft ticks of the Ornithodoros moubata complex. During the latter half of the 21st century, exponential growth of pig production in Africa has led to a change in the ASF-epidemiology pattern. It is now dominated by a cycle involving domestic pigs and pork with virus spread driven by people. In 2007, a global ASF epidemic started, reaching large parts of Europe, Asia and the Americas. In Europe, this epidemic has primarily affected wild boar. In Asia, wild boar, smallholders and industrialized pig farms have been affected with impact on local, national and international pig value chains. Globally and historically, domestic pigs in smallholder settings are most frequently affected and the main driver of ASF virus transmission. Awaiting a safe and efficacious vaccine, we need to continue focus on other measures, such as biosecurity, for controlling the disease. However, smallholders face specific challenges linked to poverty and other structural factors in implementing biosecurity measures that can prevent spread. Improving biosecurity in the smallholder sector thus remains an important tool for preventing and controlling ASF. In this regard, interdisciplinary research can help to find new ways to promote safe practices, facilitate understanding and embrace smallholders' perspectives, engage stakeholders and adjust prevention and control policies to improve implementation., (© 2022 The Authors. Transboundary and Emerging Diseases published by Wiley-VCH GmbH.)

Porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome (PRRS) is among the most devastating diseases affecting the pig industry. Despite vaccines having been available for decades, the remarkable genetic variability of this virus, leading to poor cross-protection, has limited their efficacy, and other measures must be adopted to effectively control the viral circulation. Some recent studies have investigated the factors involved in viral spreading and persistence, at least at the local level. However, despite the topic's relevance, no statistically grounded evidence is currently available evaluating the variables more involved in porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome virus (PRRSV) epidemiological success at a broader scale, such as the European scale. In the present study, an extensive phylodynamic and phylogeographic analysis was performed on more than 1000 ORF5 sequences to investigate the history, dynamics and spreading patterns of PRRSV within European borders. Moreover, several potential predictors, representative of swine population features and trade, human population, economy and geographic characteristics, were evaluated through a specifically designed generalized linear model (GLM) to assess their weight on viral migration rate between countries over time. Although pig stock density, mean PRRSV strain genetic diversity, investments in agriculture (including a likely role of vaccination) and farmer education were involved to a certain extent, the major determinant was proven to be by far the live pig trade. Providing a robust depiction of PRRSV European molecular epidemiology patterns and determinants, the present study could contribute to a more rational allocation of limited resources based on an effective prioritization of control measures., (© 2022 The Authors. Transboundary and Emerging Diseases published by Wiley-VCH GmbH.)

Abstract: In domestic pigs strict control measures and the use of gene-deleted marker vaccines resulted in the elimination of pseudorabies virus (PrV) infections in many parts of Europe and North America. In free-roaming feral pigs and wild boar populations, however, serological surveys and monitoring in The Americas, Europe and North Africa provided serological and virological evidence that PrV is more widely distributed than previously assumed. Thus, there is a constant risk of spillover of PrV infection from wild pig populations to domestic animals which could require intervention to limit the infection in wild pigs. To investigate whether oral immunization of wild boar by live-attenuated PrV could be an option, wild boar and domestic pigs were orally immunized with 2×106 TCID50 of the attenuated live PrV vaccine strain Bartha supplied either with a syringe or within a blister, and subsequently intranasally challenged with 106 TCID50 of the highly virulent PrV strain NIA-3. Oral immunization with live-attenuated PrV was able to confer protection against clinical signs in wild boar and against transmission of challenge virus to naïve contact animals. Only two vaccinated domestic pigs developed neurological signs after challenge infection. Our results demonstrate that oral immunization against PrV infection in wild boar is possible. In case increasing PrV infection rates in wild boar may enhance the risk for spillover into domestic pig populations, oral immunization of wild boar against PrV in endemic areas might be a feasible control strategy. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Salmonella enterica serovar Typhimurium DT 104 is the major pathogen for salmonellosis outbreaks in Europe. We tested if the probiotic bacterium Enterococcus faecium NCIMB 10415 can prevent or alleviate salmonellosis. Therefore, piglets of the German Landrace breed that were treated with E. faecium (n = 16) as a feed additive and untreated controls (n = 16) were challenged with S. Typhimurium 10 days after weaning. The presence of salmonellae in feces and selected organs, as well as the immune re-sponse, were investigated. Piglets treated with E. faecium gained less weight than control piglets {P = 0.05). The feeding of E. faecium had no effect on the fecal shedding of salmonellae and resulted in a higher abundance of the pathogen in tonsils of all challenged animals. The specific {anti-Salmonella IgG) and nonspecific (haptoglobin) humoral immune responses as well as the cellular immune response (T helper cells, cytotoxic T cells, regulatory T cells, &ggr;&dgr; T cells, and B cells) in the lymph nodes, Peyer's patches of different segments of the intestine (jejunal and ileocecal), the ileal papilla, and in the blood were affected in the course of time after infection (P < 0.05) but not by the E. faecium treatment. These results led to the conclusion that E. faecium may not have beneficial effects on the performance of weaned piglets in the case of S. Typhimurium infection. Therefore, we suggest a critical discussion and reconsideration of faecium NCIMB 10415 administration as a probiotic for pigs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study presents the results of the virological surveillance for swine influenza viruses (SIVs) in Belgium, UK, Italy, France and Spain from 2006 to 2008. Our major aims were to clarify the occurrence of the three SIV subtypes - H1N1, H3N2 and H1N2 - at regional levels, to identify novel reassortant viruses and to antigenically compare SIVs with human H1N1 and H3N2 influenza viruses. Lung tissue and/or nasal swabs from outbreaks of acute respiratory disease in pigs were investigated by virus isolation. The hemagglutinin (HA) and neuraminidase (NA) subtypes were determined using standard methods. Of the total 169 viruses, 81 were classified as 'avian-like' H1N1, 36 as human-like H3N2 and 47 as human-like H1N2. Only five novel reassortant viruses were identified: two H1N1 viruses had a human-like HA and three H1N2 viruses an avian-like HA. All three SIV subtypes were detected in Belgium, Italy and Spain, while only H1N1 and H1N2 viruses were found in UK and Northwestern France. Cross-hemagglutination inhibition (HI) tests with hyperimmune sera against selected older and recent human influenza viruses showed a strong antigenic relationship between human H1N1 and H3N2 viruses from the 1980s and H1N2 and H3N2 human-like SIVs, confirming their common origin. However, antisera against human viruses isolated during the last decade did not react with currently circulating H1 or H3 SIVs, suggesting that especially young people may be, to some degree, susceptible to SIV infections. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We tested serum samples from pigs infected or vaccinated with European swine influenza viruses (SIVs) in hemagglutination- inhibition assays against pandemic (H1N1) 2009 virus and related North American SIVs. We found more serologic cross-reaction than expected. Data suggest pigs in Europe may have partial immunity to pandemic (H1N1) 2009 virus. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: In Europe, Streptococcus suis serotypes 2 and 9 are very important causative agents of meningitis, arthritis and septicemia in piglets. So far, no vaccine has been described which elicits protection against both serotypes. The working hypothesis of this study was that an isogenic serotype 2 mutant attenuated in virulence but not in colonization of the respiratory tract might induce protective immunity against both serotypes. Piglets were immunized with the attenuated S. suis serotype 2 strain 10Δofs2/12, which is deficient in expression of the serum opacity factor OFS. Three weeks after intranasal application of 10Δofs2/12 piglets were challenged intravenously with two strains representing the most important S. suis pathotypes in Europe, the homologous MRP+ EF+ SLY+ serotype 2 strain and a heterologous MRP* SLY+ serotype 9 strain. Application of the live vaccine elicited significant serum IgG responses against muramidase-released protein (MRP), extracellular factor (EF) and, most prominently, suilysin. Seroconversion against suilysin was accompanied with an increase of suilysin-neutralization titers in the vaccinated group. Though mortality was lower in the vaccinated groups, significant protection was not observed, neither against the homologous nor against the heterologous challenge. This was in agreement with the finding that the vaccinated piglets had low opsonizing antibody titers insufficient to mediate elimination of the two challenge strains by porcine neutrophils. In conclusion, a single intranasal application of the S. suis serotype 2 strain 10Δofs2/12 elicited humoral immune responses against different S. suis antigens but failed to induce sufficient opsonizing antibody titers and protective immunity against systemic serotypes 2 and 9 challenges. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Sulfamethazine is often used to treat disease in the swine industry. Sulfamethazine is available as water or feed medication and historically (over the past 40 years) has been associated with residue violations in both the United States and Europe. Despite sulfamethazine's approval for use as a water medication, little research on the pharmacokinetics of the water formulation is available. Therefore, a pilot study was performed to determine the plasma levels of an approved sulfamethazine water medication. Plasma levels in pigs treated with an oral bolus (250 mg/kg), which is equivalent to the total drug consumed within a 24-h period, achieved therapeutic concentrations (50 µg/ml). Noncompartmental-based pharmacokinetic model parameters for clearance, half-life, and volume of distribution were consistent with previously published values in swine. However, the above treatment resulted in exposure of pen mates to sulfamethazine at levels currently above tolerance (0.1 ppm). Using a physiologically based pharmacokinetic model, the treatment dose simulation was compared with observed plasma levels of treated pigs. Flexibility of the physiologically based pharmacokinetic model also allowed simulation of control-pig plasma levels to estimate contamination exposure. A simulated exposure to 0.15 mg/kg twice within approximately 8 h resulted in detectable levels of sulfamethazine in the control pigs. After initial exposure, a much lower dose of 0.059 mg/kg maintained the contamination levels above tolerance for at least 3 days. These results are of concern for producers and veterinarians, because in commercial farms, the entire barn is often treated, and environmental contamination could result in residues of an unknown duration. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The project "Antibiotic resistance in bacteria of animal origin -- II" (ARBAO-II) was funded by the European Union (FAIR5-QLK2-2002-01146) for the period 2003-05. The aim of this project was to establish a program for the continuous monitoring of antimicrobial susceptibility of pathogenic and indicator bacteria from food animals using validated and harmonised methodologies. In this report the first data on the occurrence of antimicrobial resistance among bacteria causing infections in pigs are reported. Methods: Susceptibility data from 17,642 isolates of pathogens and indicator bacteria including Actinobacillus pleuropneumoniae, Streptococcus suis and Escherichia coli isolated from pigs were collected from fifteen European countries in 2002-2004. Results: Data for A. pleuropneumoniae from infected pigs were submitted from five countries. Most of the isolates from Denmark were susceptible to all drugs tested with the exceptions of a low frequency of resistance to tetracycline and trimethoprim -- sulphonamide. Data for S. suis were obtained from six countries. In general, a high level of resistance to tetracycline (48.0 - 92.0%) and erythromycin (29.1 - 75.0%) was observed in all countries whereas the level of resistance to ciprofloxacin and penicillin differed between the reporting countries. Isolates from England (and Wales), France and The Netherlands were all susceptible to penicillin. In contrast the proportion of strains resistant to ciprofloxacin ranged from 12.6 to 79.0% (2004) and to penicillin from 8.1 - 13.0% (2004) in Poland and Portugal. Data for E. coli from infected and healthy pigs were obtained from eleven countries. The data reveal a high level of resistance to tetracyclines, streptomycin and ampicillin among infected pigs whereas in healthy pigs the frequency of resistance was lower. Conclusion: Bacterial resistance to some antimicrobials was frequent with different levels of resistance being observed to several antimicrobial agents in different countries. The occurrence of resistance varied distinctly between isolates from healthy and diseased pigs, with the isolates from healthy pigs generally showing a lower level of resistance than those from diseased pigs. The study suggests that the choice of antimicrobials used for the treatment of diseased animals should preferably be based on knowledge of the local pattern of resistance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The current study was performed to determine if porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome virus (PRRSV) could be transmitted to pigs by feeding muscle tissue obtained from recently infected pigs. Muscle obtained from pigs infected with either a European strain (EU donor pigs) or American strain (US donor pigs) of PRRSV was fed to PRRSV-free receiver pigs. The donor pigs were slaughtered 11 days post-infection (dpi). PRRSV was detected by conventional virus isolation in muscle at 11 dpi from 7 of 12 EU donor pigs and 5 of 12 US donor pigs. In contrast to conventional virus isolation, all muscle samples from infected pigs were positive for viral nucleic acid by PCR, except for muscle from one animal infected with the American strain of PRRSV. Five hundred grams of raw semimembranosus muscle from each of the donor pigs was fed over a 2 days period (250 g per day) to each of two receiver pigs (48 receiver pigs). The receiver pigs were housed separately in five groups. One of the five groups was fed muscle obtained from US donor pigs that was also spiked with the American strain of PRRSV. Sentinel pigs were placed in-contact with the group of receiver pigs fed spiked muscle. All receiver pigs became viraemic by 6 days post-feeding (dpf). There was evidence of horizontal transmission with sentinel pigs, in-contact with receiver pigs, becoming viraemic. The study demonstrates that PRRSV could be infectious through the oral route via the feeding of meat obtained from recently infected pigs. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

African swine fever virus was first identified and characterized in Africa in the early 1900s, but it has spread exponentially in Europe, Asia, and the Caribbean since 2018. While it is a disease that exclusively affects swine, thus posing no infectious risk to human health, the virus's resiliency and human behavior have facilitated the rapid global dissemination of the virus over the past 4 years. In this Currents in One Health, we will review its epidemiology, viral characteristics, host range, and current prevention strategies; the current perspective on what a response would look like and who would be affected; and if the virus was ever found in the US. Due to the fact that the virus affects all breeds of Sus scrofa, including those used for food and companionship, it is vital for all veterinarians to work together to keep the virus out of the US. It is only through the collaborative efforts of multiple disciplines working locally, nationally, and globally that we can contain the spread of this virus.

African swine fever (ASF) is one of the most important viral diseases of domestic pigs and wild boar. Apart from endemic cycles in Africa, ASF is now continuously spreading in Europe and Asia. As ASF leads to severe but unspecific clinical signs and high lethality, early pathogen detection is of utmost importance. Recently, 'point-of-care' (POC) tests, especially immunochromatographic assays, have been intensively discussed for the use in remote areas but also in the context of on-farm epidemiological investigations and wild boar carcass screening. The later topic was the starting point for our present study. In detail, we evaluated the performance of the commercially available INGEZIM ASFV CROM Ag lateral flow assay (Eurofins Technologies Ingenasa) with selected high-quality reference blood samples, and with blood samples from wild boar carcasses collected under field conditions in Germany. While we observed a sensitivity of roughly 77% in freeze-thawed matrices of close to ideal quality, our approach to simulate field conditions in direct testing of blood samples from carcasses without any modification, resulted in a drastically reduced sensitivity of only 12.5% with the given sample set. Freeze thawing increased the sensitivity to roughly 44% which mirrored the overall sensitivity of 49% in the total data set of wild boar carcass samples. A diagnostic specificity of 100% was observed. In summary, the antigen LFA should not be regarded as a substitute for any OIE listed diagnostic method and has very limited use for carcass testing at the point of care. For optimized LFA antigen tests, the sensitivity with field samples must be significantly increased. An improved sensitivity is seen with freeze-thawed samples, which may indicate problems in the accessibility of ASFV antigen that could be overcome, to a certain extent, with assay modifications., (© 2021 The Authors. Transboundary and Emerging Diseases published by Wiley-VCH GmbH.)

Surveillance data are key to informing decisions on the control and prevention of transboundary and emerging diseases. Here, we describe new methods for acquiring difficult to access, publicly available disease surveillance data. We use World Organisation for Animal Heath (OIE) data on African Swine Fever (ASF) outbreaks in European countries to showcase the importance of adequate disease surveillance data to inform decision-making. The data acquired using these methods allow for large scale, geospatial outbreak mapping and estimation of summary statistics for any listed terrestrial disease in the OIE World Animal Health Information System (WAHIS) database. These techniques will make valuable epidemiological data more accessible to the scientific community, aiding further insight into the occurrence and spread of transboundary and emerging diseases in a timely manner, fulfilling an important function of disease surveillance., (© 2021 Wiley-VCH GmbH.)

Since 2007, African swine fever virus (ASFV) has spread to countries in Europe, Asia and Oceania and has caused devastating impacts on pigs and the pork industry. Transmission can be direct or indirect, and epidemiologic scenarios have been described in which spread occurs between free-living and domestic pigs. The purpose of this scoping review was to identify primary research in which authors made statements to support ASFV transmission between free-living and domestic pigs and assess the circumstances in which transmission events occurred. A search was conducted in five bibliographic databases and the grey literature. Two reviewers (from a team of ten) independently screened each record and charted data (demographics of the pig populations, their husbandry [domestic pigs] and habitat [free-living pigs], the spatial and temporal distribution of ASF, the occurrence or burden of ASF in the populations, and whether ticks were present in the geographic range of the pig populations). Data synthesis included statistics and a narrative summary. From 1,349 records screened, data were charted from 46 individual studies published from 1985 to 2020. Outbreak investigations revealed that whilst poor biosecurity of domestic pig operations was often reported, direct contact resulting in transmission between free-living and domestic pigs was rarely reported. Studies in which quantitative associations were made generally found that spread within populations was more important than spread between populations, although this was not always the case, particularly when domestic pigs were free-ranging. We conclude that there is limited evidence that transmission of ASFV between free-living and domestic pigs is an important feature of ASF epidemiology, especially in the current ASF epidemic in Europe and the Russian Federation. If ASFV elimination cannot be achieved in free-living pigs, compartmentalization of domestic pig populations from free-living populations via biosecurity strategies could be used to support trade of domestic pigs., (© 2021 Wiley-VCH GmbH.)

The article reports on the need for pig farmers and veterinarians to increase their awareness on the risk posed by African swine fever (ASF) as revealed by the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) in Europe. The opinion of EFSA was based on their perception of the risk to become endemic among domestic pigs. Moreover, EFSA states the banning on trading of live pigs and products of pig origin between Trans Caucasian Countries and Russian Federation in order to control the spread of disease.

The article presents a study which examines the detection of neutralizing antibodies to Chlamydia suis in pig sera. It notes the epidemiological manifests which indicate both common and widespread Chlamydia suis infection in pigs in Europe. Furthermore, the neutralizing in vitro activity, which was specific to Chlamydia suis that was detected in sera collected from infected pigs, is also mentioned.

The article reports on the survey conducted by the European Union on the prevalence of meticillin-resistant staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) in breeding pigs in the Europe. The survey reveals 22.8 percent overall prevalence of MRAS in pigs but zero on any of the 258 holdings in Great Britain. The report of the survey was published by the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA).

A live vaccine based on a European isolate of porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome virus (Porcilis PRRS) was tested in this study in order to determine the protection of fattening pigs against the respiratory form of the syndrome under field conditions. Ten thousand pigs in an infected farm were vaccinated against PRRS virus at the age of 6 weeks and were compared with non-vaccinated pigs with respect to their health status, mortality, performance parameters (average daily gain, average daily feed intake, feed conversion ratio) and the presence of certain pathogens in their lungs. The results showed that treated pigs became ill less frequently and demonstrated reduced mortality compared with untreated ones. As compared with non-vaccinated animals, PRRS-vaccinated pigs also performed in a better way with respect to the feed conversion ratio (P < 0.05) and average daily gain (P < 0.05), while feed intake was similar for both groups (P > 0.05). Bacteriological examinations of the lungs revealed increased incidence of respiratory bacterial infection in untreated pigs compared with treated ones. A tendency for a faster antibody response was also detected in the vaccinees. The results of the present study show that immunization with a live vaccine does protect fattening pigs against the respiratory manifestations of PRRS. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

During the last fourty years the "hare type" of Yersinia enterocolitica was detected in the brown hare and other mammals in several European countries. In northern Germany (Province of Schleswig-Holstein) the pathogen was not found in the post mortem materials of the cattle, swine and horses during the years 1990-1996. In approximately 1,000 sheep studied this yersinia was cultured from the internal organs of one diarrhoeic lamb. The examination of some 200 perished hares reveals one animal with granulomatous splenomegaly and culture of this pathogen. Yersinia enterocolitica is one of the pathogens causing pseudotuberculosis-like lesions in the hare.

Two multivariate statistical procedures (Principal Component Analysis and Discriminant Function Analysis) were used to analyse morphometric data from larval hooks of Spanish samples of Echinococcus granulosus previously characterized in physiological, biochemical and genetic studies. The 5 physical variables considered could be reduced to 2 functional variables ("length of hooks" and "number of hooks"). The number of hooks was found not to be a reliable character to differentiate between strains of this parasite. Three Spanish strains (sheep-cattle, pig, and horse strains) were identified; these results are compatible with those obtained using other techniques. We consider larval hook morphology as a valid criterion for identifying E. granulosus strains in Spain, with potential use for epidemiological studies.

Livestock breeding is characterized by substantial increases in performance in recent years. However, pathophysiological changes have to be considered when increased production levels will exceed maximal physiological capacities. Gastrointestinal adaptation processes of ruminants kept under aride grazing conditions are discussed in comparison with european sheep breeds. The high stress susceptibility in pigs which is genetically determined is taken as a further example to explain the onset of diseases on the basis of pathophysiological mechanisms being induced by breeding techniques. From this the necessity for a close cooperation between animal breeding and physiology has to be concluded.

Antigenic differences between European and American isolates of porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome virus (PRRSV) were revealed by serologic analysis of a recombinant protein derived from PRRSV open reading frame 3 (ORF 3). The hydrophilic carboxyterminal 199 amino acids encoded by the ORF 3 of a European (Lelystad) isolate of PRRSV were expressed as a recombinant fusion protein (BP03-P) in a baculovirus gene expression system. Sera from gnotobiotic swine exposed to prototypic reference European and American isolates of PRRSV and sera from conventionally reared European and American swine convalescing from naturally acquired PRRSV infections were used to characterize the BP03-P protein. Sera from gnotobiotic and conventionally reared swine exposed to European isolates of PRRSV were significantly more reactive (P < 0.01) with BP03-P than were the corresponding American PRRSV antisera using the indirect immunoperoxidase monolayer assay (IPMA). Prototypic European, but not American, PRRSV antisera also recognized BP03-P using western immunoblotting and radioimmunoprecipitation assay (RIPA) procedures. However, gnotobiotically derived antiserum to an atypical American-origin PRRSV was reactive with BP03-P by both IPMA and western immunoblot. Despite a predicted potential for N-linked glycosylation, studies with tunicamycin and peptide-N-glycosidase F (PNGase F) indicated that BP03-P was not N-glycosylated in either insect cell cultures or Trichoplusia ni larvae infected with the recombinant baculovirus. Sera from rabbits inoculated with BP03-P failed to neutralize both the European (Lelystad) and American (ATCC VR-2332) reference isolates of PRRSV and did not react by IPMA with PRRSV-infected cell cultures. Taken together, the data suggest that the carboxyterminal portion of PRRSV ORF 3 encodes a non-neutralizing viral peptide that is partially responsible for the serologic differences noted between European and most American isolates of PRRSV.

The 3' end genomic region of a Québec PRRSV reference strain (IAF-exp91), propagated in porcine alveolar macrophages (PAM), was sequenced and compared to the prototype European strain, the Lelystad virus (LV). The sequence, which represents the 3'-terminal 2834 nucleotides, encompassed 5 ORFs corresponding to ORFs 3 to 7 of LV. Extensive genomic variations resulting from an important rate of nucleotide additions, substitutions, and deletions were demonstrated between the two viruses. Indeed, the two corresponding sequences displayed a total of 66% and 63% identity at the nucleotide and amino acid levels, respectively. The predicted products of ORFs 5, 3, and 7, showed the highest rate of amino acid variations with percentages of identity of 52, 54, and 59, respectively. Sequence analysis of an additional Québec strain that could be propagated in a continuous cell line (MARC-145), suggested that Québec PRRSV strains belong to a genotype distinct from that of LV, thus confirming previous serological results which allowed to divide PRRSV isolates into two distinct antigenic subgroups (U.S. and European). Six viral major polypeptides with apparent M(rs) of 14.5K, 15K, 19K, 24.5K, 29K, and 42K could be identified from lysates of viral infected cells, of which the 15, 19 and 24.5K species seemed to be structural. In vitro translation products of ORFs 7 and 6 comigrated with the 15 and 19 K viral proteins, whereas that of ORF 5 may be associated to the 24.5K when translated in presence of microsomes. Consequently, it is likely that ORFs 7 to 5, encode the three major structural proteins.