Author
Mengeling, William | |
Lager, Kelly | |
Brockmeier, Susan | |
Vorwald, Ann |
Submitted to: American Association of Veterinary Laboratory Diagnosticians
Publication Type: Proceedings Publication Acceptance Date: 10/31/1995 Publication Date: N/A Citation: N/A Interpretive Summary: Technical Abstract: Porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome (PRRS) is considered to be one of the most economically important diseases faced by the U.S. swine industry. Control of this costly disease depends on a quick and accurate diagnosis, which in most cases is accomplished by isolating the causative virus from suspected cases. Because the particular sample can affect the success of virus isolation, we compared three types of samples (blood, tonsils, and alveolar macrophages) that from previous studies were thought to have the greatest potential for providing a reliable diagnosis. Our results indicate that for diagnostic purposes tonsils are at least good as blood, which is currently the most commonly used sample, and that alveolar macrophages are better than either blood or tonsils when samples are collected from pigs that have been infected for at least several weeks. This information will contribute to improved diagnostic procedures for PRRS. |