Vaccination strategies to curb environmental spread of Porcine Circovirus 2

Abstract

Integrated farming is an established agricultural practice aimed at increasing productivity per unit area by utilizing animal manure. However, there has been a growing concern regarding swine manure's potential as a disseminator of pathogens in the environment. Among these pathogens is Porcine Circovirus 2 (PCV2), which can persist in the environment for extended periods. The objective of this study is to demonstrate the impact of introducing two PCV2 vaccination protocols on PCV2 load in faecal samples and the surrounding environment. To achieve this, fifty-seven pigs aged 21 d were divided into three groups (A, B, and Control group) and received intramuscular injections of two different PCV2 vaccines as per the manufacturer's instructions. Faecal and environmental samples were collected using polyester swabs and tested for PCV2 using SYBR green quantitative real-time PCR (qPCR). The introduction of vaccination in a PCV2-positive herd led to a reduction in viral load in both faecal samples and the surrounding environment.