A national serological survey to verify Australia's freedom from porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome.
OBJECTIVE
To provide serological data to support Australia's claim of freedom from porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome.


METHODS
A national serological survey was designed to provide 99% confidence of detecting at least one infected pig herd in Australia, assuming that at least 5% of herds would have been exposed to porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome virus and that at least 25% of the 'finisher' pigs in these herds would have antibodies to the virus.


METHODS
A two-stage testing regime was used. All samples were tested with a commercially available enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. If assay reactions were found, all samples from the herd were to be tested using the indirect immunofluorescence antibody assay.


RESULTS
Of the 875 samples from 163 herds from all States in Australia, there was some evidence of reactivity in only four samples from four herds on the enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Further testing using the indirect immunofluorescence antibody assay according to the study protocol demonstrated that the reactions were not due to the presence of specific porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome virus antibodies in the sera.


CONCLUSIONS
The results of this study support the view that Australian pigs are free of porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome virus.
Garner
M G
MG
Animal and Plant Health Branch, Bureau of Resource Sciences, Kingston, Australian Capital Territory.
Gleeson
L J
LJ
Holyoake
P K
PK
Cannon
R M
RM
Doughty
W J
WJ
D000818:Animals; D000914:Antibodies, Viral / Q000097:blood*; D001315:Australia / Q000453:epidemiology; D003625:Data Collection; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay / Q000379:methods / Q000662:veterinary; D019084:Fluorescent Antibody Technique, Indirect / Q000662:veterinary; D019318:Porcine Reproductive and Respiratory Syndrome / Q000097:blood / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000276:immunology; D019316:Porcine respiratory and reproductive syndrome virus / Q000276:immunology*; D015995:Prevalence; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D016036:Seroepidemiologic Studies; D013552:Swine
D000914:Antibodies, Viral