W. Szweda et al., The results of Aujeszky's disease virus elimination from pig farms after 5years of implementing the "vaccination-eradication programme", MED WETER, 56(6), 2000, pp. 386-391
The development in the late 80-s of the deleted (marker) vaccines, which en
able serological differentiation between pigs infected with Herpesvirus sui
s type 1 (SHV-1) and those vaccinated with these vaccines, was the turning
point Aujeszky's disease (AD) eradication. A vaccination-eradication progra
mme based on deleted, mainly gE-negative, vaccines is at present intensivel
y implemented in several European countries and in the United States with p
lanned completion in the year 2000. The objective of the study was to evalu
ate the results of SHV-1 elimination from pig farms after 5 years of implem
enting the vaccination-eradication programme. The study was carried out in
two highly infected pig farms R. and B. located in the north-eastern region
of Poland, in which implementation of this programme was the most advanced
. In the Sears 1986-1998 intensive vaccinations of all the pigs in both far
ms using Porcilis Begonia vaccine (Intervet, Holland) were continued. To co
ntrol the decrease of SHV-1 infection level, the serological examinations o
f reproductive pigs and pigs from other age groups using gE-ELISA - Pseudor
abies Virus gp I Antibody Test Kit (Herd Chek Anti-PRV gp I), IDEXX Lab. In
c. USA were performed. In farm R. the study revealed a decrease of SHV-1 in
fection level in reproductive pigs from 100% to 10,7% after 3.5 years of pi
g vaccinations. Positive results were found in only 8 out of 72 sows, with
no seropositives in boars and fatteners.
In farm B. after 4.5 years of pig vaccinations and 1.5 years of culling SHV
-1 infected reproductive pigs, only 3 doubtful results (1 boar, 2 sows) out
of 1714 sows and gilts and 38 boars were found. There mere no seropositive
s among piglets and fatteners. Farm B. is the first pig farm in Poland in w
hich SHV-1 was eliminated using,,vaccination-eradication programme" for abo
ut 5 years (62 months), It is proof that this programme can be effective in
SHV-1 elimination even in very large and highly infected pig farms.