A serosurvey for pathogens in European wild boars

Vet Rec Open. 2015 Aug 28;2(2):e000077. doi: 10.1136/vetreco-2014-000077. eCollection 2015.

A serosurvey for selected pathogens in Greek European wild boar.

Touloudi A¹, Valiakos G¹, Athanasiou LV², Birtsas P³, Giannakopoulos A², Papaspyropoulos K⁴, Kalaitzis C⁴, Sokos C⁵, Tsokana CN², Spyrou V⁶, Petrovska L⁷, Billinis C¹.

Abstract

OBJECTIVES:

Serum samples, collected from 94 European wild boar (Sus scrofa) during the hunting seasons 2006 -2010 from different regions of Greece, were examined in order to estimate the role of these wildlife species as reservoir of pathogens important for livestock and/or public health.

MATERIALS AND METHODS:

The assays used for this purpose were commercial indirect ELISA for the detection of antibodies against porcine circovirus type 2 (PCV-2), porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome (virus) (PRRSV), Aujeszky's disease virus (ADV), influenza A (IA) virus, Actinobacillus pleuropneumoniae, Mycoplasma hyopneumoniae, Salmonella species, Trichinella species and indirect immunofluorescence antibody test for the detection of antibodies against Toxoplasma gondii and Neospora caninum.

RESULTS:

Antibodies against PCV-2, PRRSV, ADV, IA virus,A. pleuropneumoniae, M. hyopneumoniae, Salmonella species, Trichinella species, T. gondii and N. caninum were detected in 19.1 per cent, 12.8 per cent, 35.1 per cent, 1.1 per cent, 57.4 per cent, 0 per cent, 4.3 per cent, 6.4 per cent, 5.2 per cent and 1.1 per cent of the samples, respectively. Cluster analysis revealed a hot spot of seropositivity near Bulgarian border; seropositivity to ADV was more common among female animals.

CONCLUSIONS:

These results indicate exposure of wild boar to most of the above-mentioned pathogens, raising concern about the possibility that these species may pose a significant health risk for livestock and/or humans.

KEYWORDS:

GIS; Greece; Infectious diseases; Serology; Wild boar; swine

PMID:26392908 [PubMed]