The results of a retrospective serological survey of Porcine circovirus-2 infection in Mexico have been published in The Canadian Journal of Veterinary Research. Dr. Joaquim Segalés is one of researchers of this study.

Postweaning multisystemic wasting syndrome (PMWS) is considered a multifactorial emerging disease of which Porcine circovirus-2 (PCV-2) is the necessary infectious cause. However, retrospective studies have shown that PMWS is not a new disease and that PCV-2 has been circulating in pig farms for years. Most of these studies were performed in Europe and Asia; only a few were performed in North or South America.

A PCV-2 retrospective serological survey was carried out with 659 serum samples collected from pigs in Mexico between 1972 and 2000. Serological analyses were performed with an immunoperoxidase monolayer assay (IPMA).

The overall prevalence of PCV-2 antibodies was 59% (387/659). The prevalence was:

• 27% (24/90) for the period from 1972–1979
• 44% (74/169) for the period from 1980–1989
• 72% (289/400) for the period from 1990–2000.

Antibodies to PCV-2 were detected in at least one pig from all tested years since 1973.

This study shows evidence of enzootic PCV-2 infection in Mexico for many years before the first description of PMWS in the country (in 2001), further supporting results obtained in other parts of the world. To date, this study provides the earliest evidence of PCV-2 infection in the North and South American continents.

This short communication has been published as “Retrospective serological survey of Porcine circovirus-2 infection in Mexico. Humberto Ramírez-Mendoza, Héctor Castillo-Juárez, Jesús Hernández, Pablo Correa, Joaquim Segalés. The Canadian Journal of Veterinary Research, January 2009”.

To consult the last 10 publications of the CReSA on PCV2 (available in Pubmed):

• Development of cell-mediated immunity to porcine circovirus type 2 (PCV2) in caesarean-derived, colostrum-deprived piglets. Fort M, Fernandes LT, Nofrarias M, Díaz I, Sibila M, Pujols J, Mateu E, Segalés J. Vet Immunol Immunopathol. 2008 Dec 25. [Epub ahead of print]
• Infection, excretion and seroconversion dynamics of porcine circovirus type 2 (PCV2) in pigs from post-weaning multisystemic wasting syndrome (PMWS) affected farms in Spain and Denmark. Grau-Roma L, Hjulsager CK, Sibila M, Kristensen CS, López-Soria S, Enøe C, Casal J, Bøtner A, Nofrarías M, Bille-Hansen V, Fraile L, Baekbo P, Segalés J, Larsen LE. Vet Microbiol. 2008 Oct 17. [Epub ahead of print]
• Lack of transmission of porcine circovirus type 2 to weaning pigs by feeding them spray-dried porcine plasma. Pujols J, López-Soria S, Segalés J, Fort M, Sibila M, Rosell R, Solanes D, Russell L, Campbell J, Crenshaw J, Weaver E, Polo J. Vet Rec. 2008 Nov 1;163(18):536-8.
• Development of two Trichoplusia ni larvae-derived ELISAs for the detection of antibodies against replicase and capsid proteins of porcine circovirus type 2 in domestic pigs. Pérez-Martín E, Grau-Roma L, Argilaguet JM, Nofrarías M, Escribano JM, Gómez-Sebastián S, Segalés J, Rodríguez F. J Virol Methods. 2008 Dec;154(1-2):167-74.
• A meta-analysis on experimental infections with porcine circovirus type 2 (PCV2). Tomás A, Fernandes LT, Valero O, Segalés J. Vet Microbiol. 2008 Dec 10;132(3-4):260-73.
• Porcine circovirus type 2 (PCV2) viral components immunomodulate recall antigen responses. Kekarainen T, Montoya M, Dominguez J, Mateu E, Segalés J. Vet Immunol Immunopathol. 2008 Jul 15;124(1-2):41-9.
• Porcine circovirus type 2-induced interleukin-10 modulates recall antigen responses. Kekarainen T, Montoya M, Mateu E, Segalés J. J Gen Virol. 2008 Mar;89(Pt 3):760-5.
• Porcine circovirus type 2 (PCV2) vaccination of conventional pigs prevents viremia against PCV2 isolates of different genotypes and geographic origins. Fort M, Sibila M, Allepuz A, Mateu E, Roerink F, Segalés J. Vaccine. 2008 Feb 20;26(8):1063-71.
• Lack of in vitro and in vivo effects of lipopolysaccharide on porcine circovirus type 2 infection. Fernandes LT, Mateu E, Sibila M, Fort M, Andaluz A, McNeilly F, Allan G, Sánchez A, Segalés J, Stevenson L. Viral Immunol. 2007 Dec;20(4):541-52.
• A proposal on porcine circovirus type 2 (PCV2) genotype definition and their relation with postweaning multisystemic wasting syndrome (PMWS) occurrence. Grau-Roma L, Crisci E, Sibila M, López-Soria S, Nofrarias M, Cortey M, Fraile L, Olvera A, Segalés J. Vet Microbiol. 2008 Apr 1;128(1-2):23-35.