Researchers Examine Transmissibility and Pathogenicity of Porcine Circovirus 3

Research being conducted on behalf of the Swine Health Information Center is expected to shed new light on the transmissibility and pathogenicity of Porcine circovirus 3. Porcine circovirus 3 is similar to Porcine circovirus 2 but it's relatively unstudied. The Swine Health Information Center has updated its PCV3 fact sheet and is working with South Dakota State University, Iowa State University and the University of Minnesota to develop a case definition to help ensure consistent reporting of PCV3 infection.

SHIC Executive Director Dr. Paul Sundberg explains PCV3 has been found in the diagnostic lab along with PRRS virus and both PCV2 and PCV3 have been found in lesions so the goal is to identify criteria to differentiate between a PCV3 infection and PCV3 just being found.

Clip-Dr. Paul Sundberg-Swine Health Information Center:

Talking with practitioners about their experiences on the farm with PCV and getting a diagnosis from the diagnostic lab about PCV3 infections is that it seems to be associated with decreased reproduction, especially in gilts and replacement gilts and gilt development.

There are increased abortions, increased mummified fetuses. So, it looks like besides the things that happen in the nurseries and in the early finishing phase where we can get failure to thrive and failure to grow, PCV3 is also well associated with the breeding herd.

What we're trying to understand is the difference between the gilts and the sows to see if there actually is an increased incidence in the gilt herd versus the sow herd. So that's some of the things that we're looking at in the field as well as in the diagnostic lab to try to understand better the epidemiology of PCV3.