Isolation and characterization of porcine circovirus type 2 from pigs showing signs of post‐weaning multisystemic wasting syndrome in the Netherlands

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Abstract
Pigs with wasting syndrome were examined for macroscopic and histopathological lesions, and for porcine circovirus (PCV). Histopathological lesions were comparable to those previously documented for post‐weaning multisystemic wasting syndrome (PMWS). In addition, in seven out of ten examined PMWS‐affected pigs focal‐to‐slight mononuclear meningitis and focal cerebral mononuclear infiltrates (4 out of 10) were observed. A virus was isolated from organs and sera from pigs showing wasting syndrome. An immunoperoxidase monolayer assay and an indirect immunofluorescence assay were performed on the infected PK‐15 and Dulac cell cultures, respectively, and both assays indicated the presence of PCV type 2 (PCV2). The nested‐polymerase chain reaction (nPCR) technique, based on the use of PCV2 specific oligonucleotides, revealed specific amplified products of 481 bp. Nucleotide sequence analysis of the entire genome of the Dutch PCV isolate 24657 NL showed a homology with known nucleotide sequences of porcine PCV type 1 (PCV1) and PCV2 isolates of 77.1% and >96%, respectively. This is the first report of the isolation and characterization of PCV2 in PMWS‐affected pigs in the Netherlands.