Aujeszky`s disease outbreak

In June 1986, I was called to a piggery in the West Auckland area. The piggery consists of a breeding and fattening unit. Piglets from two hundred sows are taken through to pork and bacon weight. All pigs are meal fed. The dry sows and farrowing unit are separated within the same building. The weaners and fatteners are in two separate buildings in close proximity. Boars and gilts are brought in from more than one source. On the 12th June, eighteen sows, all in their second and third trimesters of pregnancy were inappatent or anorexic and lethargic, with temperatures ranging from 37.6-39.5°C. In the next few days some of these sows regained their appetite and some new sows became anorexic. Four days after the initial visit, sows due to farrow did so 2-3 days early and/or had stillbirths. These sows had temperatures up to 40.5°C. Piglets in most of the other litters in the farrowing house contracted diarrhoea and piglet losses became high. A presumptive diagnosis of Aujeszky`s Disease was made on the histology of piglet brains meningoencephalitis. This was a presumptive diagnosis of Aujeszky`s Disease was made on the histology of piglet brains minimgoencepholitis. This was confirmed by positive serological titres from recently farrowed sows…