ThePigsite.com, UK
11-20-07
Pork board grant could yeild next Circovirus vaccine, says researcher
US - When the National Pork Board wanted to research how to eradicate the
latest strain of porcine circovirus, Kansas State University's Richard Hesse
stepped forward.
As K-State's director of diagnostic virology, Hesse has had the chance to identify
and characterize a number of diseases, including porcine circovirus. He is one of
a group of K-State researchers who have conducted clinical trials on a vaccine
now used by pork producers nationwide to ward off the effects of the disease.
Given that expertise, Hesse and fellow researchers from K-State, Iowa State
University and South Dakota State University were recently awarded a $200,875
grant from the National Pork Board to delve deeper into how the disease affects
the immune system of infected pigs. The multistate team will lead a national
effort to develop the diagnostic tools to determine what viral strain a pig has been
infected with, to tell the difference between antibodies produced in response to
natural infection or vaccination, and to determine when the best time is to
vaccinate.
Porcine circovirus is a disease that compromises a pig's immune system. Clinical
signs of the disease include skin rashes, jaundice, fever, diarrhea, poor growth,
weight loss and death, though not all pigs show signs of disease. The success of
the vaccine used today is measured in its ability to resolve a pig's weight and
growth issues, which impacts the producer's bottom line.
Hesse says that the circovirus isn't a new phenomenon, but in recent years a
new pathogenic strain has made its way south from Canada. K-State researchers
were the first to systematically test commercial circovirus vaccines, but Hesse
said there is a lot more to learn about the disease.
"We're going to characterize exactly how the infection impairs immunity," Hesse
said. "This research will give producers and veterinarians a keen understanding
of what exactly is happening, and the diagnostic tools we develop along the way
-- like a test to differentiate between a vaccinated pig and a naturally infected one
- will be critical in the development of the next generation of vaccines against
circovirus."
Armed to be effective
Hesse said this study will arm producers with the information they need to adhere
to an effective vaccination program. Being able to better understand the
mechanisms of porcine circovirus infection and control through vaccination will
mean that producers may soon be able to say their pigs are disease free.
"Porcine circovirus is a devastating disease for both the animal and the
producer," Hesse said. "The management practices used by producers will be
critical to the health of the herd. This research will point us in the right direction
when it comes to meeting the needs of both the animals and those raising them."
Hesse is the project's principal investigator. He is working closely with K-State's
Bob Rowland, professor of diagnostic medicine and pathobiology, and Carol
Wyatt, associate professor of diagnostic medicine and pathobiology, as well as
Eileen Thacker of Iowa State University and Ying Fang of South Dakota State
University. The National Pork Board grant will be funded as a yearlong research
project.