CHARACTERIZATION OF AUJESZKYS-DISEASE VIRUSES ISOLATED FROM DOMESTIC-ANIMALS AND FROM A WILD BOAR (SUS-SCROFA) IN ITALY BETWEEN 1972 AND 1995

Following the isolation of a group I Aujeszky's disease virus from a w ild boar in 1993, an investigation was carried out on 30 Italian Aujes zky's disease viruses (ADV's), isolated over a 23-yr period in 12 Ital ian regions, by means of restriction endonuclease analysis. All strain s isolated between 1972 and 1984 belong to group I. From 1984 onwards group II isolates (II and II intermediate) replace group I isolates. T he isolation of a group I virus in 1993 from a wild boar supports the hypothesis that ADV's may persist for several years in wild boar popul ations and that wild boars should therefore be considered reservoirs o f Aujeszky's disease virus. (C) 1997 Elsevier Science B.V.