Mariano Domingo

Porcine circovirus diseases

Abstract Porcine circovirus type 2 (PCV2) is a member of the family Circoviridae, a recently established virus family composed of small, non-enveloped viruses, with a circular, single-stranded DNA genome. PCV2, which is found all over the world in the domestic pig and probably the wild boar, has been recently associated with a number of disease syndromes, which have been collectively named porcine circovirus diseases (PCVD). Postweaning multisystemic wasting syndrome (PMWS), porcine dermatitis and nephropathy syndrome (PDNS) and reproductive disorders are the most relevant ones. Among them, only PMWS is considered to have a severe impact on domestic swine production. PMWS mainly affects nursery and/or fattening pigs; wasting is considered the most representative clinical sign in this disease. Diagnosis of this disease is confirmed by histopathological examination of lymphoid tissues and detection of a moderate to high amount of PCV2 in damaged tissues. Since PMWS is considered a multifactorial disease in which other factors in addition to PCV2 are needed in most cases to trigger the clinical disease, effective control measures have focused on the understanding of the co-factors involved in individual farms and the control or elimination of these triggers. PDNS, an immuno-complex disease characterized by fibrino-necrotizing glomerulonephritis and systemic necrotizing vasculitis, has been linked to PCV2, but a definitive proof of this association is still lacking. PCV2-associated reproductive disease seems to occur very sporadically under field conditions, but it has been characterized by late-term abortions and stillbirths, extensive fibrosing and/or necrotizing myocarditis in fetuses and the presence of moderate to high amounts of PCV2 in these lesions. Taking into account that scientific information on PCV2 and its associated diseases has been markedly expanded in the last 8 years, the objective of this review is to summarize the current state of knowledge of the most relevant aspects of PCV2 biology and PCVD.

Experimental Inoculation of Conventional Pigs with Porcine Reproductive and Respiratory Syndrome Virus and Porcine Circovirus 2

ABSTRACT Postweaning multisystemic wasting syndrome (PMWS) is a disease of nursery and fattening pigs characterized by growth retardation, paleness of the skin, dyspnea, and increased mortality rates. Porcine circovirus 2 (PCV2) has been demonstrated to be the cause of PMWS. However, other factors are needed for full development of the syndrome, and porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome virus (PRRSV) infection has been suggested to be one of them. Twenty-four conventional 5-week-old pigs were distributed in four groups: control (n = 5), PRRSV inoculated (n = 5), PCV2 inoculated (n = 7), and PRRSV and PCV2 inoculated (n = 7). The two groups inoculated with PRRSV showed growth retardation. Pigs inoculated with both PRRSV and PCV2 had increased rectal temperature. One of these pigs developed wasting, had severe respiratory distress, and died. The most important microscopic lesion in pigs inoculated with PCV2 was lymphocyte depletion with histiocytic infiltration of the lymphoid organs, more severe and in a wider range of tissues in doubly inoculated pigs. Interstitial pneumonia was observed in the three inoculated groups. PCV2 nucleic acid was found by in situ hybridization in larger amounts and in a wider range of lymphoid tissues in PRRSV- and PCV2-inoculated than in PCV2-inoculated pigs. TaqMan PCR was performed to quantify the PCV2 loads in serum during the experiment. PCV2 loads were higher in doubly inoculated pigs than in pigs inoculated with PCV2 alone. These findings indicate that severe disease can be reproduced in conventional 5-week-old pigs by inoculation of PRRSV and PCV2. Moreover, these results support the hypothesis that PRRSV infection enhances PCV2 replication.

Characterisation of PCV-2 isolates from Spain, Germany and France

The new isolated circovirus variant PCV-2 is discussed to be the etiological agent of a new emerging swine disease with a variable morbidity and high lethality, postweaning multisystemic wasting syndrome (PMWS). PMWS has been diagnosed in North America and West Europe. Clinical signs include dyspnea, loss of weight, lymph node enlargement and lymphocyte depletion in lymphoid tissues. This report describes the characterisation of PCV-2 isolates from animals affected with PMWS from Germany, Spain and France. We could demonstrate the presence of circovirus by electron microscope, in situ hybridisation and PCR. PCR revealed incidence of PCV-2 in many tissues of one infected animal with the exception of heart and nervous system. The phylogenetic analysis of all PCV-2 isolates yet published in the database, showed relationship of isolates from Spain, Germany and France, with three sequences from Canada determined recently and two isolates from Taiwan, while other North American sequences display a separate cluster. PCR screening of randomly collected organ samples from German pigs not affected with PMWS, revealed a rate of infection with PCV-1 of 5% and with PCV-2 of 26.8%, while blood samples showed a lower incidence.

Pathologic and Immunocytochemical Studies of Morbillivirus Infection in Striped Dolphins (Stenella coeruleoalba)

Hundreds of striped dolphins (Stenella coeruleoalba) died along the Spanish Mediterranean coast during the second half of 1990. We necropsied 58 dolphins. Partial collapse of the lungs with patchy atelectasis, subcutaneous edema, icterus, and stomatitis were the most prominent gross morphologic changes. Histologically, a bronchiolo-interstitial pneumonia was the most frequent lesion (72% of the animals). It was characterized by hyperplasia of alveolar epithelial type II cells and formation of multinucleate syncytia in alveolar and bronchiolar lumina. Other prominent lesions were encephalitis (69%), lymphoid depletion, and formation of multinucleate syncytia in the cortex of lymph nodes. The distribution of morbillivirus antigen was investigated in 23 wellpreserved dolphins using a monoclonal antibody against the hemagglutinin glycoprotein of phocine distemper virus. Positive immunostaining was found in brain (77%), in lung (70%), and in mesenteric (61%), mediastinal (47%), and prescapular (45%) lymph nodes. Phocine distemper virus antigen was demonstrated less frequently in trachea, stomach, biliary epithelium, intestine, kidney, and mammary gland. Necrotizing-hemorrhagic pneumonia and encephalitis due to Aspergillus fumigatus were seen in three dolphins, whereas two animals had lesions of toxoplasmosis. Changes in our dolphins were similar to those caused by distemper in seals and porpoises. The origin of the dolphin virus and the relationships among dolphin, seal, and porpoise morbilliviruses are unknown.

Clinical and pathological observations on pigs with postweaning multisystemic wasting syndrome

The aim of this work was to characterise the lesions and agents present in clinically normal and clinically affected pigs on a farm during an outbreak of postweaning multisystemic wasting syndrome (PMws), and to evaluate the diagnostic techniques for detecting porcine circovirus type 2 (PCV-2) and other microorganisms. Four pigs in the early stage and 11 pigs in the late stage of the disease, and eight clinically normal pigs were necropsied. Samples of lymphoid tissue and serum were also obtained from 12 slaughter pigs from the same farm. The tissues were examined histopathologically, and in situ hybridisation, serology and PCR were used to detect porcine circovirus type 1 (Pcv-1) and/or PCV-2 in tissues and/or sera. The presence of porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome virus (PRRSV), Aujeszkys disease virus (ADv) and porcine parvovirus (PPv) were also investigated. Characteristic microscopical lesions of PMWS were observed in the lymphoid tissues of the pigs in all three necropsied groups; the lesions were most common and severe in the pigs in the early stage of the disease, less so in the pigs in the late stage of the disease, and least in the clinically normal pigs. PCV-2 infection was detected in all the necropsied pigs by in situ hybridisation and PCR. Only three pigs had the Pcv-i genome in serum or lymph node tissue. In contrast, the slaughter pigs had no microscopical lesions and no PCV-2 nucleic acid in their serum or tissues, and only one of them had the Pcv-i genome in its serum. Immunohistochemical, serological and PCR studies revealed that PRRSV and ADV were also present on the farm during the outbreak.

Serum antibodies to porcine circovirus type 1 and type 2 in pigs with and without PMWS

PORCINE circovirus (PCV) is a small, single-stranded, circular, covalently-closed DNA virus, which was first detected as a contaminant in the pig kidney cell line PK-15 (ATCC CCL-33) (Tischer and others 1974). PK-15-derived PCV is considered apathogenic (Tischer and others 1986, Allan and others 1995), and serological studies for the detection of PCV antibodies in pig sera from Germany, Canada, New Zealand, Great Britain, Northern Ireland and the USA have shown a widespread presence of PCV antibodies in fattening and adult pigs, ranging from 25 to 98 per cent of the investigated sera. Therefore, it has been suggested that PCV infection is ubiquitous throughout the world (Allan 1996). Since 1991 in Canada (Clark 1997) and during the past two years in several other countries, including the USA, France, Spain, the UK, Denmark, Italy and Germany, a new disease called postweaning multisystemic wasting syndrome (PMWS) has been identified. PMWS affects nursery and fattening pigs, and i s histologically characterised by lymphocyte depletion with histiocytic infiltrates within lymphoid organs, and bronchointerstitial pneumonia (Clark 1997, Segalés and others 1997). An unequivocal aetiological relationship between PCV and PMWS has not been demonstrated; however, pigs affected with PMWS are regularly infected with a novel strain of PCV. This new strain of PCV has a nucleotide sequence similarity of 75 per cent when compared with PCV derived from PK-15 cells (Hamel and others 1998, Meehan and others 1998); therefore, the nomenclature PCV type 1 (PCV-1) and PCV type 2 (PCV-2) has been suggested for the PK-15and PMWS-derived PCV, respectively (Allan and others 1999). Antigenic differences between PCV-1 and PCV-2 do exist, as some monoclonal antibodies raised against PCV-1 are not able to recognise PCV-2, and monoclonal antibodies raised against PCV-2 cannot recognise PCV-1 in infected cell monolayers by immunofluorescence (Allan and others 1999). In addition, hyperimmune rabbit serum raised by immunisation with PCV-2 showed a high specific titre against PCV-2 but only a low titre against PCV-1 in cell monolayers (Allan and others 1998). The aim of this study was to compare serum antibody titres against PCV-1 and PCV-2 in necropsied pigs, with and without PMWS, using an immunoperoxidase monolayer assay (IPMA) technique. A total of 90 oneto five-month-old pigs from 37 different Spanish farms were submitted to the laboratory of the Veterinary School of Barcelona for pathological examination between May 1997 (when PMWS was recognised in Spain) and July 1998. Pigs were bled at the jugular vein and a 10 ml blood sample was collected in a Vacutainer (Venoject; Terumo Europe). The sample was allowed to clot, centrifuged and then the serum was frozen at –80°C until required for testing. The pigs were necropsied and tissue samples (including the lungs, lymphoid organs, livers and kidneys) were fixed in 10 per cent buffered formalin, embedded in paraffin wax and routinely processed for histopathology. Pigs were classified as PCV-2Short Communications

Changes in peripheral blood leukocyte populations in pigs with natural postweaning multisystemic wasting syndrome (PMWS).

The objective of the present study was to analyze, by flow cytometry, changes in PBMC subsets in pigs having postweaning multisystemic wasting syndrome (PMWS), a new condition associated to porcine circovirus type 2 (PCV2) infection. Thirteen acutely PMWS affected pigs were selected from a farm seronegative to porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome virus (PRRSV) and to Aujeszkys disease virus (ADV); 11 clinically healthy pigs were selected from a high health farm with no history of PMWS and free of the major swine pathogens, and used as a control group. All pigs were necropsied, and tissue samples were fixed in formalin; blood with EDTA anticoagulant was used to perform the flow cytometric analysis. PBMC were incubated with mAb against porcine CD3, CD4, CD8, CD25, CD45, IgM, SWC3, and SLA-Class II. Flow cytometric analysis showed substantial changes in leukocyte subsets in the peripheral blood of PMWS-affected pigs, which were characterized by an increase of monocytes, a reduction of T (mainly CD4(+)) and B-lymphocytes, and the presence of low-density immature granulocytes. Altogether, these changes would suggest an inability of acutely PMWS-affected pigs to mount an effective immune response.

Dolphin morbillivirus epizootic resurgence, Mediterranean Sea.

In July 2007, >100 striped dolphins, Stenella coeruleoalba, were found dead along the coast of the Spanish Mediterranean. Of 10 dolphins tested, 7 were positive for a virus strain closely related to the dolphin morbillivirus that was isolated during a previous epizootic in 1990.

Changes in CD4+, CD8+, CD4+ CD8+, and Immunoglobulin M-Positive Peripheral Blood Mononuclear Cells of Postweaning Multisystemic Wasting Syndrome-Affected Pigs and Age-Matched Uninfected Wasted and Healthy Pigs Correlate with Lesions and Porcine Circovirus Type 2 Load in Lymphoid Tissues

ABSTRACT Forty-one 8- to 12-week-old wasted pigs were selected from several conventional farms with histories of postweaning multisystemic wasting syndrome (PMWS) and classified into two groups according to their porcine circovirus type 2 (PCV2) infection status, as determined by in situ hybridization (ISH). Twenty-four pigs tested positive for PCV2 (PCV2-positive group), while 17 pigs tested negative for PCV2 (PCV2-negative group). In addition, eight uninfected healthy pigs from an experimental farm were used as controls. Heparinized blood samples were taken to obtain peripheral blood mononuclear cells. The CD4+, CD8+, CD4+ CD8+ (double-positive [DP]), and immunoglobulin M-positive (IgM+) cell subsets were analyzed by flow cytometry with appropriate monoclonal antibodies. Histopathological studies were done to evaluate the apparent degrees of lymphocyte depletion in different lymphoid organs (superficial inguinal and mesenteric lymph nodes, Peyers patches, tonsils, and spleen) and to determine the viral load of the PCV2 genome by using an ISH technique. Animals of the PCV2-positive group showed a significant downshift of the CD8+ and DP cell subsets compared to the other groups (P < 0.05). Moreover, in PCV2-positive pigs, the amount of PCV2 genome in lymphoid tissues was related to the degree of cell depletion in those tissues (P < 0.05) as well as to the relative decrease in IgM+ and CD8+ cells in peripheral blood. These data support the notion that PCV2-positive pigs might have an impaired immune response.

Immunohistochemical characterisation of PCV2 associate lesions in lymphoid and non-lymphoid tissues of pigs with natural postweaning multisystemic wasting syndrome (PMWS)

Abstract The lymphoid, renal, pulmonary, and hepatic lesions of naturally occurring postweaning multisystemic wasting syndrome (PMWS) affected pigs have been studied by means of immunohistology. Ten conventionally reared pigs showing acute clinical signs of PMWS were selected from a farm on which animal were seronegative to porcine reproductive and respiratory virus and to Aujeszky’s disease virus. All pigs were positive in tests for porcine circovirus type 2 by ISH and IHC. Monoclonal and polyclonal antibodies to CD3, CD79α, CD45RA (3C3/9), lysozyme, SLA-II-DQ (BL2H5), and MAC387 were used to characterise cells in PMWS lesions. The most relevant changes were reduction or loss of B and T lymphocytes, increased numbers of macrophages, and partial loss and redistribution of antigen presenting cells throughout lymphoid tissues compared to uninfected controls. The characteristics of lymphoid lesions in the present study strongly suggest an immunosuppressive effect of PMWS in affected pigs.