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Chronic Thromboembolic Pulmonary Hypertension and Assessment of Right Ventricular Function in the Piglet
Published on: November 4, 2015
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A putative PCV3-associated disease in piglets from Southern Brazil
Franciéli Adriane Molossi1, Bruno Albuquerque de Almeida2, Bianca Santana de Cecco2
1Faculdade de Veterinária, Universidade Federal Do Rio Grande Do Sul, Setor de Patologia Veterinária, Porto Alegre, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil. francieliadrianemolossi@hotmail.com.
Summary
Porcine circovirus type 3 (PCV3a) is linked to a new disease in Brazilian piglets, causing severe symptoms and death in newborns. This study confirms PCV3a as the cause of these neonatal losses.
Area of Science:
- Veterinary Pathology
- Virology
- Swine Health
Background:
- Porcine circovirus type 3 (PCV3) is a globally distributed virus.
- Recent studies have explored its association with clinical disease in pigs.
- A novel PCV3-associated disease in Brazilian piglets is described.
Purpose of the Study:
- To characterize a novel PCV3-associated clinical disease in neonatal piglets from Brazil.
- To identify the causative agent and its pathological effects.
- To determine the circulating PCV3 clade in Brazil.
Main Methods:
- Clinical case observation and post-mortem examination of 48 piglets.
- Histopathological analysis of affected tissues.
- In situ hybridization (ISH-RNA) and PCR for viral detection.
- Phylogenetic analysis of the PCV3 ORF2 gene.
Main Results:
- Piglets exhibited clinical signs including large ears, weakness, and dyspnea, with high mortality within days of birth.
- Post-mortem findings included interlobular lung edema, lymphohistiocytic interstitial pneumonia, myocarditis, and encephalitis.
- PCV3 was detected in 17 cases via PCR, with negative results for other common swine viruses.
- Phylogenetic analysis identified the circulating PCV3a clade in Brazil.
Conclusions:
- This study reports the first evidence of PCV3a-associated disease in neonatal pigs in Brazil.
- PCV3a is identified as the cause of significant neonatal mortality and morbidity on Brazilian swine farms.
- The findings highlight the importance of PCV3a in swine health and disease surveillance in the region.
