Porcine parvovirus: serological examinations in pig breeding herds and AI boar centres

From several reports PPV is known to be world wide disseminated in pig herds. Only few reports, however, are concerned about the prevalence of PPV infection among breeding animals within individual pig breeding herds. In the present work 1858 sows and boars from 53 conventional pig breeding herds and 731 sows from 73 SPF pig breeding herds were examined for antibody to PPV, and the herds were grouped according to the prevalence of PPV antibody positive animals. More than 90% of the animals examined were PPV antibody positive in 57% and 30% of the conventional herds and the SPF herds, respectively, while a variable number of animals were positive in the remaining herds. At 2 performance test stations and 2 isolation camps 302 and 148 boars, respectively, were examined for antibody to PPV and 76% and 97% of the boars were found low titered or negative for PPV antibody. After installation of 41 PPV antibody negative boars at 6 different AI boar centres, all of 11 boars installed at one AI boar centre seroconverted to PPV within 4 months. At the remaining AI boar centres either few or none of the boars examined seroconverted to PPV indicative for low levels or absence of infection with PPV during the investigation period.