Survey of Aujeszky's Disease Virus in Hunting Dogs from Spain

Direct contact with swine infected by Aujeszky's disease virus (ADV) represents a potential risk of transmission to carnivore species, in which the infection is normally fatal. We assessed exposure to ADV in hunting dogs in an area where the virus is highly endemic in wild boar populations. Two out of 466 (0.43%; 95% CI 0.00-1.02%) hunting dogs analyzed were positive by gE-bELISA, gB-bELISA and the virus neutralization test. The seroprevalence levels detected, as well as the absence of reports of clinical cases in the hunting dog groups tested, indicate limited contact of this species with ADV in the study area. Further studies are warranted to assess the pathogenicity of Aujeszky's disease virus strains infecting wild boar.