SCREENING ON PRRS SEROLOGICAL PROFILES ON GROWING PIGS
IN FRENCH INFECTED AND NON VACCINATED FARMS
(1) Intervet S.A., BP 17144, 49071 Beaucouzé, France
(2) Ekipaj, 4 allée Charles Gounod, 35760 Saint Grégoire, France
Introduction
Serological profiles, useful to evaluate age of growing pigs
at seroconversion and precisely age at infection (1), are an
important tool in farms to analyze clinical and economical
consequences of diseases and to adapt control and
eradication measures. Intervet S.A. proposed to the French
pig veterinarians a partnership for realization of PRRS
serological profiles in French farms (with “all in/all out”
management system). Here is described a complete analysis
on PRRS serological profiles done on a one-year period.
Materials and Methods
Present study is a screening with a total of 375 « non
negative » profiles (at least one positive pig per profile),
with at least three age groups (with a mean of 5 sera within
each age group) and realized from February 2002 to
February 2003. All these profiles have been done by 62
different veterinarians. In all these farms, growing pigs have
not been vaccinated. A total of 7.734 serologies have been
included in this study. PRRS serologies have been realized
by Elisa tests (90% of them with Idexx kit).
Results
The mean serological profile seems quite classical in French
farms (Figure 1) : maternal antibodies are present in 40% of
the piglets and decrease to reach a minimum at 8 to 10
weeks of age (i.e. at end of post-weaning period or at
beginning of fattening period). Seroconversion to wild virus
is then observed in fattening period : more than 80% of pigs
at the end of fattening period are seropositive.
Figure 1 : Mean serological profile
P e r c e n ta g e p o s itiv e s e r a
100%
80%
60%
40%
20%
0%
2à4 5à7 8à10 11à13
A ge ( weeks )
The mean serological profile showed a progressive
seroconversion but, within each pig batch, serological
response is mainly « quite positive or quite negative »
(Figure 2). We observed that pig batches are either
completely negative (36% of batches : 5 negative sera/ 5
sera), or highly positive (38% of batches : 4 or 5 positive
sera/ 5 sera). This confirms that pig batch is the
“epidemiological” unit within farm, and that virus spreading
is often explosive within pig batches.
Proceedings of the 18th IPVS Congress, Hamburg, Germany, 2004 – Volume 1
B. Ridremont1, V. Auvigne 2
Figure 2 : Results per pig batch
% p ig b a tc h e s
40
20
0
0 1 2
N u m b e r p o s it i v e / 5 a n im a ls
3 4 5
Analysis per geographical area has been conducted by
selecting 114 profiles with at least 4 age groups sampled
between 5 and 16 weeks of age and by considering pig
batch as the statistical unit. Four different areas have been
considered (mostly in West of France) : Finistère
department (n=48), Côtes d’Armor and Morbihan
departments (n=40), Ille et Vilaine, Manche and Mayenne
departments (n=18), other departments (n=3). From a
geographical area to the other , serological profiles are
statistically different in post-weaning and beginning of
fattening periods . For instance, in Finistère department,
more than 2 piglets on 5 are positive at the beginning of
post-weaning period (5 to 7 weeks of age), i.e. one piglet
more than in other departments. In East part of Brittany (Ille
et Vilaine, Manche and Mayenne departments), serological
profiles showed a high prevalence at the beginning of
fattening period : more than 3 piglets on 5 are positive
between 11 and 13 weeks of age, i.e. 1.4 more on average
than in other departments or areas . Then there is no
statistical difference between sampling seasons
(spring/summer versus autumn/winter)
Discussion
In this study, we observed differences between geographical
areas in growing pigs from 5 to 13 weeks of age.
Serologies on older pigs, which are convenient to establish
a diagnosis of PRRS infection, do not provide pertinent data
about epidemiology of virus infection in farms. However
14à16 17à20 2 1 e t+ these results must be considered cautiously because
selection of profiles was not random. Nevertheless, we
could conclude that there would be structural factors which
could influence PRRS virus spreading in growing pigs (herd
size, farm management, health status,…). If these factors
could be specified, then it would be possible to define sub-
groups of farms and to maximize vaccination schedules
without having to realize complete and regular serological
profiles within each farm.
Reference
1. Pommier P et al. 2003. Proc. J.R.P., 35, 369-374.
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