Porcine circovirus genotypes and their copathogens in pigs with respiratory disease in southern provinces of Vietnam.

This study was conducted to investigate the genetic diversity of porcine circovirus type 2 (PCV2) and its coinfecting pathogens in pigs with respiratory disease in Vietnam. Samples from 127 clinical cases were obtained from different southern provinces of Vietnam from January 2018 to January 2020 for PCR and sequence analysis. The infection rate of PCV2 was 78.8%, and the major pathogens found in coinfections with PCV2 were porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome virus, Mycoplasma hyopneumoniae, and Haemophilus parasuis. Forty-three PCV2-positive clinical samples were selected for amplification and sequencing of the ORF2 region. Phylogenetic analysis of PCV2 ORF2 showed that five of the sequences belonged to PCV2b (11.6%) and 38 belonged to PCV2d (88.4%), indicating that PCV2d strains were predominant in southern provinces of Vietnam. Alignment of the predicted amino acid sequences of the PCV2 capsid protein revealed polymorphic sites in the antibody recognition regions. This study demonstrates the prevalence of the PCV2d genotype in southern Vietnam and presents a comprehensive overview of the coinfecting pathogens associated with PCV2 in young pigs with respiratory disease.

The efficacy and performance impact of Fostera PRRS in a Vietnamese commercial pig farm naturally challenged by a highly pathogenic PRRS virus.

Highly pathogenic porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome virus (HP-PRRSV) is characterized by high fever, respiratory distress, and high mortality in pigs of all ages and has severely affected the Vietnam pork industry in recent years. The study was conducted to compare the efficacy, safety, and overall performance of a modified live PRRSV-2 vaccine (Fostera PRRS) to an existing PRRSV modified live vaccine on a farm with a recent history of HP-PRRSV-associated respiratory diseases. A total of 351 pigs were randomly allocated to three treatment groups: (i) vaccinated with Fostera PRRS at 1 day of age (n = 118), (ii) vaccinated with Fostera PRRS (n = 118) at 21 days of age, and (iii) vaccinated with Amervac PRRS (n = 115) at 21 days of age. The Fostera PRRS vaccinated pigs had milder clinical symptoms, lower levels of HP-PRRSV viremia, fewer pathological changes in the lung, and higher body weight gain at the end of the study compared with the Amervac PRRS group. Vaccination of pigs with Fostera PRRS at 1 day of age also significantly reduced viral loads in their blood (P < 0.05) and induced higher anti-PRRSV antibody titers (P < 0.01) compared with pigs vaccinated with Amervac PRRS at 21 days of age. Fostera PRRS vaccination at 1 day of age can be useful in protecting young piglets from early HP-PRRSV infection because the immunized pigs were marketed 20 days earlier than their peers immunized at 21-day old as they reached the target market weight earlier in this study.

Individual and flock immunity responses of naïve ducks on smallholder farms after vaccination with H5N1 Avian Influenza vaccine: a study in a province of the Mekong Delta, Vietnam.

In Vietnam, vaccination has played a crucial role in the national strategy for the prevention and control of H5 highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI). This study aimed to evaluate antibody responses of immunologically naïve domestic ducks to H5N1 avian influenza vaccine currently used in the national mass vaccination program of Vietnam. Blood samples of 166 ducks reared on smallholder farms were individually collected at three sampling time points, namely, right before vaccination, 21 days after primary vaccination, and 21 days after booster vaccination. Vaccine-induced antibody titers of duck sera were measured by the hemagglutination inhibition assay. Temporal differences in mean antibody titers were analyzed using the generalized least-squares method. No sampled ducks showed anti-H5 seropositivity pre-vaccination. The geometric mean titer (GMT) of the vaccinated ducks was 5.30 after primary vaccination, with 80% of the vaccinated ducks showing seropositivity. This result indicates that the immunity of duck flocks met the targets of the national poultry H5N1 HPAI mass vaccination program. GMT and seropositive rates of the ducks were 6.48 and 96.3%, respectively, after booster vaccination, which were significantly higher than those after primary vaccination. Flock-level seroprotection rate significantly increased from 68% to 84.7%, whereas variability in GMT titers decreased from 34.87% to 26.3%. This study provided important information on humoral immune responses of ducks to the currently used H5N1 vaccine under field conditions. Our findings may help guide veterinary authorities in planning effective vaccine protocols for the prevention and control of H5N1 in the target poultry population.