Ocena sytuacji epidemiologicznej choroby Aujeszkyego na terenie Wybrzeza Gdanskiego w latach 1987-2006

Aujeszky’s disease (AD) also know as pseudorabies is an acute and usually fatal disease of pig by Herpesvirus suis type 1. The purpose of the research was to evaluate the epidemiological situation of AD in the Gdañsk coast area (Poland) on the basis of serological examination of pigs and cases of AD in other domestic species. Serological examination for the presence of antibodies to Aujeszky’s disease virus (ADV) were performed using the SN method and ELISA test. ADV isolation was also attempted from the tissue of dead animals. Isolated strains of ADV were characterised by PCR-RFLP. Serological investigation revealed the presence of ADV antibodies in 281 (4.4%) pig serum samples. The mean percentage prevalence of antibodies in swine from large farms, small farms and copulation stations (boars) were 3.5%, 4.9% and 12.5% respectively. The highest (9.8%) prevalence of ADV antibodies was found in 1996. Furthermore, this paper describes the outbreak of AD among domestic animals on a single farm that led to the deaths of seven cattle, three goats, three sheep, two cats and one dog, all of them with CNS signs. The animals were housed in a separate building away from swine. ADV strains were isolated from the tissue of each animal species. PCR-RFLP analysis revealed that the five ADV strains had the identical profile, which suggests that the animals were infected by the same ADV strain. In conclusion, this case of AD in several domestic species demonstrates the danger from latently infected swine.