title: Porcine circovirus-2 viral load versus lesions in pigs: perspectives for post-weaning multisystemic wasting syndrome.
abstract: Porcine circovirus-2 (PCV-2) is the main agent related to post-weaning multisystemic wasting syndrome (PMWS) and it is also associated with other syndromes affecting pigs. Not all pigs infected with PCV-2 will develop PMWS and the incidence of PMWS is higher when coinfecting viral and bacterial pathogens are present. In this study, PCV-2 viral loads were evaluated in the tissues of animals with and without PMWS in order to investigate the relationship between viral load and microscopical lesions. Lymph nodes had the highest average viral load, but there was no significant difference between lesion severity and the viral load in these structures. There was no significant difference between the average viral load in inguinal lymph nodes of animals with and without PMWS. However, samples from pigs with PMWS had more severe lesions compared with samples from non-PMWS animals. These findings suggest that other infectious and non-infectious cofactors may be important in the pathogenesis of PMWS.
authors.affiliation: Molecular Animal Infection Laboratory, Institute of Applied Biotechnology to Agriculture (BIOAGRO), Federal University of Vicosa, Vicosa 36570-000, Brazil.
authors.forename: F M F
authors.initials: FM
authors.lastname: Silva
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Silva Júnior
authors.forename: P M P
authors.initials: PM
authors.lastname: Vidigal
authors.forename: C R
authors.initials: CR
authors.lastname: Oliveira
authors.forename: V W
authors.initials: VW
authors.lastname: Viana
authors.forename: C H O
authors.initials: CH
authors.lastname: Silva
authors.forename: M I
authors.initials: MI
authors.lastname: Vargas
authors.forename: J L R
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Fietto
authors.forename: M R
authors.initials: MR
authors.lastname: Almeida
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D017925:Circovirus / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000502:physiology*; D004279:DNA, Viral / Q000032:analysis; D054884:Host-Pathogen Interactions; D008198:Lymph Nodes / Q000473:pathology / Q000821:virology; D053570:Porcine Postweaning Multisystemic Wasting Syndrome / Q000473:pathology* / Q000821:virology; D013552:Swine; D019562:Viral Load
chemical_list: D004279:DNA, Viral