Farmscape for September 9, 2024

Research conducted by Iowa State University has confirmed the presence of Porcine circovirus type 4 in the United States.
Since first being described in 2019, Porcine circovirus type 4 has been detected in Asia and Europe but it had not been found in the U.S.
As part of an Iowa State University study, funded by the Swine Health Information Center, PCV4 was detected for the first time in clinical samples collected in the U.S. and submitted to the Iowa State University Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory between June and September of 2023.
SHIC Executive Director Dr. Megan Niederwerder says this was the first study to look at, is it circulating in the U.S. swine population and how prevalent is it?

Quote-Dr. Megan Niederwerder-Swine Health Information Center:
These samples included lung, feces, spleen, serum, lymphoid tissue and fetal tissue.
In all of the samples that were tested utilizing PCR, so looking for the genome of PCV4, there was a total of 8.6 percent positive with the sample type that had the greatest positivity being lymphoid tissue, which is very consistent with circoviruses in that they target lymphoid tissue and cause lymphoid depletion.
The other aspect about this study, not only that the PCV4 was most commonly detected in lymphoid tissue but the case study that found PCV4 to the greatest extent was identified in nursery and finishing age pigs that displayed respiratory or enteric diseases.
That could be those growing pigs that are either submitted because of respiratory disease or diarrhea.
When we think about PCV4 we still have a lot to learn but we can start looking at what age groups are potentially affected with regards to a production impact by this virus.

Full details of this study can be accessed through SHIC's August eNewsletter available at swinehealth.org.
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Bruce Cochrane.

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