Eighty-three 2-week-old pigs were randomized into 12 treatment groups: four vaccinated IM, four vaccinated PO and four non-vaccinated Selleckchem Nutlin 3a (control) groups. Vaccination was performed at 3 weeks of age using a PCV1-2a live-attenuated vaccine followed by no challenge, or challenge with PCV2b, PRRSV or a combination of PCV2b and PRRSV at 7 weeks of age. IM administration of the vaccine elicited an anti-PCV2 antibody response between 14 and 28 days post vaccination, 21/28 of the pigs being seropositive prior to challenge.

In contrast, the anti-PCV2 antibody response in PO vaccinated pigs was delayed, only 1/27 of the pigs being seropositive at challenge. At 21 days post challenge, PCV2 DNA loads were reduced by 80.4% in the IM vaccinated groups and by 29.6% in the PO vaccinated groups. PCV1-2a (vaccine) viremia was not identified in any of the pigs. Under the conditions of this study, the live attenuated PCV1-2a vaccine was safe and provided immune protection resulting in reduction of viremia. The IM route provided the most effective protection. Porcine circoviruses are divided into two main genotypes: PCV1 and PCV2 (1–3). PCV1 was initially identified as a cell

culture contaminant of the porcine kidney cell line PK-15 (4) and is generally thought to be non-pathogenic in pigs (5, 6). In contrast, PCV2 is pathogenic and associated with a number of diseases in pigs, including reproductive failure in breeding animals (7, 8) and post-weaning clinical manifestations such anti-PD-1 antibody as systemic disease, respiratory learn more disease, enteritis, and porcine dermatitis and nephropathy syndrome (PDNS) (9, 10). PCV2 is a small, non-enveloped, single-stranded DNA virus with a circular genome of 1767 to 1768 nt (11, 12). It belongs to the genus Circovirus in the family Circoviridae (13). The genome of PCV2 consists of two ORFs: ORF1 encodes proteins associated with viral

replication (Rep and Rep’) (14), and ORF2 encodes the immunogenic capsid protein (15). A third ORF, ORF3, is reportedly involved in apoptosis of lymphocytic and hepatic cells (16), although its role in PCV2 pathogenesis remains unclear (17). Several PCV2 subtypes have been described, including PCV2a and PCV2b which are prevalent worldwide (18). Coinfection of pigs with PCV2 and PPV (19–21), PCV2 and Mycoplasma hyopneumoniae (22), and PCV2 and PRRSV (23–25) have been shown to increase PCV2 replication and the severity of clinical disease. Among the known co-infecting pathogens, PRRSV is the most commonly identified virus in field cases of PCVAD (26, 27). Accumulating evidence suggests that co-infection of pigs with two or more pathogens substantially increases the severity of disease in pig production systems (28, 29).