Genetic Analysis and Distribution of Porcine Parvoviruses Detected in the Organs of Wild Boars in Serbia

Porcine parvoviruses (PPVs) are diverse and persistently evolving viruses found in domestic pigs and wild boars. Porcine parvovirus 1 (PPV1) causes reproductive problems in adult animals, although the veterinary relevance of PPV2, PPV3, and PPV4 has not been clarified. The detection and sequence analysis of PPVs circulating in wild boar populations in Serbia was performed to determine their phylogenetic relationships and prevalence in 122 organ samples collected during 2018. The DNA of PPV1, PPV2, and PPV3 was detected in 56.6% of the examined samples, whilst PPV4 was not identified. Overall, PPV3 was the most prevalent in 69.6% of the positive samples, followed by PPV1 in 63.8%, and PPV2 in 21.7% samples. Single infections were more common, although concurrent infections were confirmed in 34.8% samples for two, and 10.1% samples for three viruses. Sequence analysis of wild boar PPV1 showed no significant nucleotide differences from domestic pig PPV1 strains detected in Europe and the USA, however separate clustering from strains from China and the NADL-2 strain was demonstrated. Examination of the selected PPV2 sequences might suggest a certain geographical distribution of genetically diverse PPV2 strains considering high similarities to the strains from neighboring countries, and variability in comparison with other reported PPV2 sequences from different parts of the world. Wild boar PPV3 sequences clustered separately from most of the strains detected in wild boars, as well as the original porcine hokovirus strain. It is further noted that genetically different PPV3 strains circulate amongst Serbian domestic pigs and wild boars.

Global Status of Porcine circovirus Type 2 and Its Associated Diseases in Sub-Saharan Africa

Globally, Porcine circovirus type 2 (PCV2) is a recognized viral pathogen of great economic value in pig farming. It is the major cause of ravaging postweaning multisystemic wasting syndrome (PMWS) and many other disease syndromes generally regarded as Porcine circovirus associated diseases (PCVAD) in Europe. PCV2 infections, specifically PMWS, had impacted huge economic loss on swine production at different regions of the world. It has been studied and reported at different parts of the globe including: North and South America, Europe, Asia, Oceania, Middle East, and the Caribbean. However, till date, this virus and its associated diseases have been grossly understudied in sub-Sahara African region and the entire continent at large. Two out of forty-nine, representing just about 4% of countries that make up sub-Sahara Africa presently, have limited records on reported cases and occurrence of the viral pathogen despite the ubiquitous nature of the virus. This review presents an overview of the discovery of Porcine circovirus and its associated diseases in global pig herds and emphasizes the latest trends in PCV2 vaccines and antiviral drugs development and the information gaps that exist on the occurrence of this important viral pathogen in swine herds of sub-Saharan Africa countries. This will serve as wake-up call for immediate and relevant actions by stakeholders in the region.