Aujeszky's disease: recent advances and current problems

Authors: Baskerville A
Publication: New Zealand Veterinary Journal, Volume 29, Issue 10, pp 183-185, Oct 1981
Publisher: Taylor and Francis

Animal type: Livestock, Pig, Production animal
Subject Terms: Biosecurity, Notifiable organisms/exotic disease, Viral, Disease/defect, Infectious disease, Nervous system/neurology
Article class: Review Article

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Abstract: Aujeszky`s disease is predominantly a nervous disease of piglets, weaners, and fatteners in which the mortality may vary from 5-80%. Respiratory disease is also a feature of infection with certain strains of the virus. Infection of pregnant sows may cause abortion, stillbirths, and mummification, and infertility may result in both boars and sows. Traditionally the serum neutralisation test has been used as an indicator of past infection with Aujeszky`s disease virus (ADV). However, cell-mediated immunity has recently been shown to play an important role in recovery and protection from infection with ADV and antibody-dependent cell-mediated cytotoxicity can be used as an alternative diagnostic test for detection of antibody. A number of inactivated, and live, avirulent vaccines are now available for control of the disease but their use is contraindicated in countries such as New Zealand which have a low prevalence of infection. Where possible early eradication is the best policy to follow.

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