Experimental live-attenuated influenza virus (LAIV) vaccines, delivered into the nose, have been shown protect pigs against influenza infection, more so than traditional inactivated commercial vaccines. In addition, LAIV vaccines have been shown to provide protection in piglets that have suckled…
Use of interferon alpha as an immunomodulator and metaphylactic therapeutic during PRRSV outbreaks
The host response to virus infection begins almost immediately with recognition of virus by host cells leading to the production of antiviral substances such as interferons. One interferon, interferon alpha (IFNα), plays a significant role in the antiviral immune response…
PRRSV Identification by Virochip
Current identification and surveillance practices for PRRSV involves a few selected U.S. veterinary diagnostic laboratories performing quantitative RT-PCR and ORF5 nucleotide sequencing followed by restriction fragment length polymorphism, a process that typically takes two weeks or more. Therefore there is…
Comparison of porcine high fever disease isolates of PRRSV to US isolates for their ability to cause secondary bacterial infection in swine
The appearance of highly-pathogenic porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome virus (PRRSV) isolates in Asia necessitates investigation into the clinical repercussions of these viruses if the strains were to appear in the US. Epidemiologic data from Asian outbreaks suggest that disease…
Haemophilus parasuis Proteomics for Vaccine Design
Gene expression in lymph nodes of PRRSV-infected pigs
The aim of this study was to acquire a better understanding of PRRS disease through a deeper knowledge of gene expression changes that occur in pulmonary lymph nodes during acute comparative porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome virus (PRRSV), porcine circovirus…
Molecular Identification of Type I Interferon Antagonistic Components of PRRSV Proteins
Basic knowledge of PRRSV infections and clues to successful PRRSV control have led to the discovery of type 1 interferon inhibition by several viral strains, which is purported to be instrumental in the dampening of the immune response. This study…
Etiology of severe form of PMWS
The objectives of the project “Etiology of severe form of PMWS” were 1) Investigate the etiology of an apparent emerging disease complex known as “severe form of Post-weaning Multisystemic Wasting Syndrome (PMWS),” and 2) Evaluate the feasibility of applying DNA-microarray…
Identifying the Genetic Profile of the Salmonella-carrier Pig to Improve Food Safety and Decrease Pre-Harvest Disease
Pigs that shed Salmonella in their feces are an animal health issue, a food safety problem and an environmental contamination risk. Our research program investigates the undesirable carrier state of Salmonella in pigs in order to identify approaches to control…
A Field-Deployable Fluorescence-Based Sensor Excited by anOrganic Light Emitting Device for PRRSV Detection
This report describes results obtained for the optimization of reagents to be used for the construction of the novel photoluminescence sensor device. PRRSV strain NADC-8 was purified and characterized by gel electrophoresis, Western blotting and ELISA. We found initially that…