Vaccines against pseudorabies virus (PrV).

Area of Science:

• Veterinary Virology
• Swine Disease Control
• Vaccine Development

Background:

• Aujeszkys disease (AD), caused by a herpesvirus, results in significant economic losses in swine production.
• Current AD control relies on inactivated and live attenuated vaccines.
• Novel vaccination strategies are crucial for effective disease management.

Purpose of the Study:

• To review the current state of pseudorabies virus (PrV) vaccines.
• To highlight advancements in AD vaccination strategies, including genetic engineering and DIVA.
• To provide an outlook on future directions in PrV vaccine development.

Main Methods:

• Review of existing literature on Aujeszky's disease vaccines.
• Analysis of molecular characterization of PrV, including nonessential glycoproteins like glycoprotein E.
• Examination of the development and application of marker vaccines for DIVA strategies.

Main Results:

• Genetically engineered live virus vaccines lacking virulence genes have been successfully developed.
• The DIVA concept, using marker vaccines and diagnostic tests, enables differentiation of vaccinated and infected animals.
• Eradication of AD has been achieved in several countries using vaccination-DIVA testing strategies.
• PrV has been utilized as a vector system for expressing foreign genes for broader swine disease vaccination.

Conclusions:

• Vaccination strategies for Aujeszky's disease have evolved significantly, from classical attenuation to sophisticated genetic engineering.
• The DIVA approach is a cornerstone for successful AD eradication programs.
• Pseudorabies virus serves as a versatile platform for developing novel vaccines against various swine diseases.