THE PORCINE ACUTE-PHASE RESPONSE TO INFECTION WITH ACTINOBACILLUS-PLEUROPNEUMONIAE - HAPTOGLOBIN, C-REACTIVE PROTEIN, MAJOR ACUTE-PHASE PROTEIN AND SERUM AMYLOID A PROTEIN ARE SENSITIVE INDICATORS OF INFECTION

In an experimental infection model mimicking acute Actinobacillus pleu ropneumoniae (Ap) infection in swine (Sus scrofa) by aerosol inoculati on, the development of a number of typical clinical signs was accompan ied by a prototypic acute phase reaction encompassing fever and an acu te phase protein response peaking at around 2 days after infection. Ha ptoglobin, C-reactive protein (CRP), and major acute phase protein (MA P) responded with large increases in serum levels, preceding the devel opment of specific antibodies by 4-5 days. Serum amyloid A protein (SA A) was also strongly induced. The increase, kinetics of induction and normalization were different between these proteins. It is concluded t hat experimental Ap-infection by the aerosol route induces a typical a cute phase reaction in the pig, and that pig Hp, CRP, MAP, and SAA are major acute phase reactants. These findings indicate the possibility of using one or more of these reactants for the nonspecific surveillan ce of pig health status. (C) 1998 Elsevier Science Inc.