Lack of antibody protection against 'Porcine circovirus' 2 and 'Porcine parvovirus' in naturally infected dams and their offspring

Abstract

The aim of this study was to evaluate 'Porcine parvovirus' (PPV) and 'Porcine circovirus' 2 (PCV2) infection in dams and their offspring and the role of antibody protection on these infections. Sera were collected from gilts and sows by venipuncture and from umbilical cord of newborn pre-suckle piglets for the detection of PCV2 and PPV antibodies by immunoperoxidase monolayer and haemmaglutination inhibition assays, respectively. Gilts and sows sera were submitted to viral detection by PCR, as well as heart, lung, tonsil and lymph nodes samples from stillborn and mummified fetuses. High antibody titers before artificial insemination (AI) (>5.120 and >2.560 UHA for PCV2 and PPV, respectively), were found associated with viremia and fetal exposure for both PCV2 and PPV, respectively, in gilts and sows, regardless of pregnancy stage. These infections resulted in litters with mummified, stillborn, as well as seropositive and viable newborns. These findings bring new evidence about the lack of antibody protection against PCV2 and PPV infections in dams, indicating that more studies are necessary about the role of humoral response against both pathogens.