Seroprevalence of Lawsonia intracellularis, Mycoplasma hyopneumoniae and PCV2 in commercial pig farms in Russia

Porcine circovirus type 2 (PCV2), Mycoplasma hyopneumoniae and Lawsonia intracellularis are economically important pathogens in modern pig breeding and rearing, worldwide. PCV2 infection can be associated with a wide range of diseases, including post-weaning multisystemic wasting syndrome (PMWS), abortion and reproductive failure, the porcine respiratory disease complex (PRDC) and porcine dermatitis and nephropathy syndrome (PDNS) (Allan and Ellis 2000). Porcine proliferative enteropathy, commonly referred to as ‘ileitis’, caused by L intracellularis, is a common and widespread intestinal infection in pigs. In its acute form, it can result in mortality in finishing pigs and young breeding stock, and in its chronic form, depression and unevenness of growth in growers and finishers (Lawson and Gebhart 2000). M hyopneumoniae is recognised as the causative agent of porcine enzootic pneumonia, a mild, chronic pneumonia commonly complicated by opportunistic infections with other bacteria (Maes and others 1999, Thacker 2006). Pathogens, such as porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome virus, PCV2, M hyopneumoniae and L intracellularis seriously affect the herd's health status and account for major economic losses (Guerrero 1990, Allan and Ellis 2000, Lawson and Gebhart 2000, Thacker 2006). Although many publications are available on the prevalence of these pathogens in different countries, a limited amount of data are available on the prevalence of M hyopneumoniae in pig farms in Russia (Biruchenkova 2011), and no data are available for the prevalence of L intracellularis in these farms.

The aim of this study was to assess the seroprevalence of PCV2, M hyopneumoniae and …