Reconsideration of the diagnostic criteria required for PCV2 reproductive disease. (June 2021)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Unterweger, C.; Brunthaler, R.; Auer, A.; Fux, R.; Weissenbacher-Lang, C.; Ladinig, A.
• Is Part Of: Veterinary journal. Volume 272(2021)
• Publication Date: 2021-06
• Subjects: Diagnostics -- Histological fetal heart lesions -- In situ hybridization -- Porcine circovirus 2 reproductive disease -- Quantitative PCR; Veterinary medicine -- Periodicals; 636
• DOI: 10.1016/j.tvjl.2021.105660
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 1090-0233

Abstract

Highlights: PCV2d is associated with abortions, mummifications and fetal autolysis in sows. Confirmation of PCV2 reproductive disease (PCV2-RD) relies on a diagnostic triad. Fetal histopathological heart lesions might be overestimated in PCV2-RD. The current definition for PCV2-RD diagnosis may no longer be valid. A new qPCR-based cut-off for diagnosing clinically-relevant PCV2-RD is suggested. Abstract: Porcine circovirus type 2 (PCV2) causes a variety of clinical conditions including PCV2-associated reproductive disease (PCV2-RD) characterized by late term abortions and mummifications. The generally accepted diagnostic triad includes the presence of reproductive disorders, the histopathological finding of myocarditis, and detection of moderate to high viral loads within the heart tissue. A new threshold of 10 9 PCV2 genome equivalents (GE)/g heart tissue is suggested to fulfil the third criterion using the diagnostic settings of quantitative real time PCR and in situ hybridization of 30 fetal heart tissues. The need to identify histopathological lesions in fetal heart tissue appears to be invalid or overestimated in confirming a diagnosis of PCV2-RD, at least at the individual fetus level. The highest viral loads (10 12 GE/g tissue) were detected in autolyzed and mummified piglets and were identified as PCV2d, although concurrent detection of PCV2d + a and PCV2d + b also occurred.