Pseudorabies
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Pseudorabies virus | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Virus classification | ||||||||
|
Pseudorabies is a viral disease in swine that is endemic in most parts of the world. It is caused by porcine herpesvirus 1 and is also known as Aujeszky's disease, and in cattle as mad itch. Pseudorabies is considered to be the most economically important viral disease of swine in areas where hog cholera has been eradicated.[1] The virus is shed in the saliva and nasal secretions of infected swine and is spread through oral or nasal contact. There are many secondary hosts of pseudorabies, including dogs, cats, cattle, rats, and horses. The name pseudorabies comes from the similarity of symptoms to rabies in dogs. Secondary hosts are infected through direct contact with swine, infected pork, and rats that are infected. Diagnosis is made through an ELISA test. A vaccine is available for swine. There are eradication programs in the United States and the United Kingdom.
Swine are usually asymptomatic, but pseudorabies can cause abortion, high mortality in piglets, and coughing, sneezing, fever, constipation, depression, seizures, ataxia, circling, and excess salivation in piglets and mature pigs. Mortality in piglets less than one month of age is close to 100 percent, but it is less than 10 percent in pigs between one and six months of age.[2]In cattle, symptoms include intense itching followed by neurological signs and death. In dogs, symptoms include intense itching, jaw and pharyngeal paralysis, howling, and death. In cats the disease is so rapidly fatal that there are usually no symptoms.[1]
[edit] References
- ^ a b Fenner, Frank J.; Gibbs, E. Paul J.; Murphy, Frederick A.; Rott, Rudolph; Studdert, Michael J.; White, David O. (1993). Veterinary Virology (2nd ed.). Academic Press, Inc. ISBN 0-12-253056-X.
- ^ Carter, G.R.; Flores, E.F.; Wise, D.J. (2006). Herpesviridae. A Concise Review of Veterinary Virology. Retrieved on 2006-06-04.
