Vaccination is considered a frequently used tool to prevent and control foot-and-mouth disease (FMD). However, the effectiveness of conventional FMD virus (FMDV) vaccines in pigs has been controversial because the massive prophylactic vaccination could not elicit proper immune response nor prevent the broad spread of FMD outbreak, mainly in pig farms, in South Korea during outbreaks of 2014. In addition, there has been little information on the efficacy of inactivated, high potency, multivalent, oil-based FMDV vaccine in pigs, because an evaluation of FMDV vaccines had been mainly carried out using cattle. In this study, we evaluated the genetic identification of commercial inactivated FMDV vaccine and monitored the immune responses in pigs under the field condition. Results implied that it contained three different serotypes with a high level of antigen payload. However, serological results showed low mean percentage of inhibition, and positive rate reached its peak at 6-week post-vaccination, indicating current FMDV vaccine need to improve for a prophylactic vaccination policy in pigs. Therefore, there is an imperative need to develop FMDV vaccine that can provide rapid and long-lasting protective immunity in pigs.
Agriculture ; Animals ; Antibody Formation ; Cattle ; Disease Outbreaks ; Foot-and-Mouth Disease Virus* ; Foot-and-Mouth Disease* ; Korea ; Real-Time Polymerase Chain Reaction ; Serogroup ; Swine* ; Vaccination ; Vaccines

Outbreaks of porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome virus (PRRSV) in vaccinated sow herds from occurrence to stabilization were monitored and analyzed in terms of serology and reproductive performance. Three different conventional pig farms experienced severe reproductive failures with the introduction of a type 1 PRRSV. These farms had adopted mass vaccination of sows using a type 2 PRRSV modified live vaccine (MLV). Therefore, to control the type 1 PRRSV, an alternative vaccination program utilizing both type 1 and type 2 MLV was undertaken. Following whole herd vaccinations with both types of MLV, successful stabilization of PRRS outbreaks was identified based on serological data (no viremia and downward trends in ELISA antibody titers in both sows and suckling piglets) and recovery of reproductive performance. Additionally, through comparison of the reproductive parameters between outbreak and non-outbreak periods, it was identified that PRRSV significantly affected the farrowing rate and the number of suckling piglets per litter at all three pig farms. Comparison of reproductive parameters between periods when the different vaccination strategies were applied revealed that the number of piglets born in total and born dead per litter were significantly increased after the introduction of the type 1 PRRS MLV.
Agriculture ; Disease Outbreaks ; Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay ; Immunity, Herd ; Immunity, Heterologous ; Mass Vaccination ; Porcine Reproductive and Respiratory Syndrome ; Porcine respiratory and reproductive syndrome virus ; Vaccination ; Viremia

Influenza A viruses (IAVs) are genetically diverse and variable pathogens that share various hosts including human, swine, and domestic poultry. Interspecies and intercontinental viral spreads make the ecology of IAV more complex. Beside endemic IAV infections, human has been exposed to pandemic and zoonotic threats from avian and swine influenza viruses. Animal health also has been threatened by high pathogenic avian influenza viruses (in domestic poultry) and reverse zoonosis (in swine). Considering its dynamic interplay between species, prevention and control against IAV should be conducted effectively in both humans and animal sectors. Vaccination is one of the most efficient tools against IAV. Numerous vaccines against animal IAVs have been developed by a variety of vaccine technologies and some of them are currently commercially available. We summarize several challenges in control of IAVs faced by human and animals and discuss IAV vaccines for animal use with those application in susceptible populations.
Animals ; Ecology ; Endemic Diseases ; Humans ; Influenza A virus ; Influenza in Birds ; Influenza, Human ; Orthomyxoviridae ; Pandemics ; Poultry ; Swine ; Vaccination ; Vaccines ; Zoonoses

A novel porcine circovirus 3 (PCV3) was first detected in pigs showing porcine dermatitis and nephropathy syndrome, reproductive failure, and multisystemic inflammation in the USA. Herein, we report on PCV3 as a potential etiological agent of clinical signs, reproductive failure and respiratory distress on Korean pig farms, based on in situ hybridization, pathological, and molecular findings. Confirmation of the presence of PCV3 may increase co-infection with other causative agents of disease in Korean pig herds, indicating the need for further systemic investigation of pathogenicity and of multiple infections with PCV2 genotypes and bacteria, and the development of an effective PCV3 vaccine.
Aborted Fetus ; Agriculture ; Bacteria ; Circovirus ; Coinfection ; Dermatitis ; Genotype ; In Situ Hybridization ; Inflammation ; Korea ; Swine ; Virulence

In many countries, vaccines are used for the prevention of foot-and-mouth disease (FMD). However, because there is no protection against FMD immediately after vaccination, research and development on antiviral agents is being conducted to induce protection until immunological competence is produced. This study tested whether well-known chemicals used as RNA virus treatment agents had inhibitory effects on FMD viruses (FMDVs) and demonstrated that ribavirin showed antiviral effects against FMDV in vitro/in vivo. In addition, it was observed that combining the administration of the antiviral agents orally and complementary therapy with vaccines synergistically enhanced antiviral activity and preserved the survival rate and body weight in the experimental animals. Antiviral agents mixed with an adjuvant were inoculated intramuscularly along with the vaccines, thereby inhibiting virus replication after injection and verifying that it was possible to induce early protection against viral infection prior to immunity being achieved through the vaccine. Finally, pigs treated with antiviral agents and vaccines showed no clinical signs and had low virus excretion. Based on these results, it is expected that this combined approach could be a therapeutic and preventive treatment for early protection against FMD.
Animals ; Antiviral Agents ; Body Weight ; Foot-and-Mouth Disease ; Immunocompetence ; Ribavirin ; RNA Viruses ; Survival Rate ; Swine ; Vaccination ; Vaccines ; Virus Replication

Outbreaks of porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome virus (PRRSV) in vaccinated sow herds from occurrence to stabilization were monitored and analyzed in terms of serology and reproductive performance. Three different conventional pig farms experienced severe reproductive failures with the introduction of a type 1 PRRSV. These farms had adopted mass vaccination of sows using a type 2 PRRSV modified live vaccine (MLV). Therefore, to control the type 1 PRRSV, an alternative vaccination program utilizing both type 1 and type 2 MLV was undertaken. Following whole herd vaccinations with both types of MLV, successful stabilization of PRRS outbreaks was identified based on serological data (no viremia and downward trends in ELISA antibody titers in both sows and suckling piglets) and recovery of reproductive performance. Additionally, through comparison of the reproductive parameters between outbreak and non-outbreak periods, it was identified that PRRSV significantly affected the farrowing rate and the number of suckling piglets per litter at all three pig farms. Comparison of reproductive parameters between periods when the different vaccination strategies were applied revealed that the number of piglets born in total and born dead per litter were significantly increased after the introduction of the type 1 PRRS MLV.

Fecal samples obtained from wild boar habitats are useful for the surveillance of diseases in wild boar populations; however, it is difficult to determine the species of origin of feces collected in natural habitats. In this study, a fecal IgA ELISA was evaluated as a method for identifying the porcine species from fecal samples. Both domestic pigs (Sus scrofa domestica) and wild boars (Sus scrofa coreanus) showed significantly higher levels of fecal IgA than other animal species. Additionally, age dependent changes in the level of Ig A in wild boars and domestic pigs were identified; Titers of Ig A were highest in suckling period and lowest in weanling period.
Animals* ; Antibodies* ; Ecosystem ; Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay ; Feces ; Immunoglobulin A* ; Immunoglobulins* ; Methods ; Sus scrofa*

All vaccines are developed to elicit an effective immune response in vaccinated animals such as innate, humoral and cell mediated response to protect animal health. Quality and intensity of the immune responses are differing by characteristics of the vaccine formulation and nature of the infectious agent. Modified live virus vaccines showed advantages over killed vaccines in terms of rapid immune response, duration of the immunity and better cell mediated protection mechanism. The porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome virus (PRRSV) is relatively newly emerging (1986 in United States, 1990 in Europe) viral pathogen in pigs and tremendous effort has been made to protect pigs from this economically devastating disease such as developing killed, modified live, recombinant protein based and DNA vaccines. However, only cell culture attenuated virus vaccine is practiced with arguably limited efficacy. The PRRSV vaccine did not clear virus from infected pigs nor prevent re-infection of the virus. The vaccine showed very limited innate immune response, low anamnestic immune response and negligible cell mediated immune response. Despite of the current developed scientific technology, there still remain many questions to solve a most important pig disease worldwide.
Animals ; Cell Culture Techniques ; Immunity, Innate ; Porcine Reproductive and Respiratory Syndrome* ; Porcine respiratory and reproductive syndrome virus* ; Swine ; United States ; Vaccines ; Vaccines, DNA ; Vaccines, Inactivated

Increasing presence of wild boar around cities and suburban areas is a growing concern with respect to agronomy, environmental ecology, and public safety. In this study, antibiotic resistance profiles of Escherichia (E.) coli isolated from wild boar and domestic pig fecal samples were compared. Eighty E. coli samples were isolated from wild boars. Resistance of the bacteria to 14 common antimicrobial agents used in human and veterinary medicine was evaluated. Ninety-five E. coli isolates from domestic pig farms were used for comparison. Common and distinct antibiotic resistance patterns were observed when comparing wild boar and domestic pig isolates, indicating that wild boars may significantly influence environmental microbiology.
Anti-Infective Agents ; Bacteria ; Drug Resistance, Microbial* ; Ecology ; Environmental Microbiology ; Escherichia ; Escherichia coli* ; Feces ; Humans ; Sus scrofa* ; Veterinary Medicine

The sibling relationship and its potential impact on neurodevelopment and mental health are important areas of neuroscientific research. Validation of the tools assessing the quality of the sibling relationship would be the first essential step for conducting neurobiological and psychosocial studies related to the sibling relationship. However, to the best of our knowledge, no sibling relationship assessment tools have been empirically validated in Korean. We aimed to evaluate the psychometric properties of the Korean version of the Lifespan Sibling Relationship Scale (LSRS), which is one of the most commonly used self-report questionnaires to assess the quality of the sibling relationship. A total of 109 adults completed a series of self-report questionnaires including the LSRS, the mental health subscale of the Medical Outcomes Study-Short Form 36 version 2 (SF36v2), the Satisfaction with Life Scale (SLS), and the Marlowe-Crowne Social Desirability Scale (MC-SDS). The internal consistency, subscale intercorrelations, one-week test-retest reliability, convergent validity, divergent validity, and the construct validity were assessed. All six subscale scores and the total score of the LSRS demonstrated good internal consistency (Cronbach's alpha=0.85-0.94) and good test-retest reliability (intraclass correlation coefficient=0.77-0.92). Correlations of the LSRS with the SF36v2 mental health score (r=0.32, p=0.01) and with the SLS (r=0.27, p=0.04) supported the good convergent validity. The divergent validity was shown by the non-significant correlation of the LSRS with the MC-SDS (r=0.15, p=0.26). Two factors were extracted through factor analysis, which explained 78.63% of the total variance. The three Adult subscales loaded on the first factor and the three Child subscales loaded on the second factor. Results suggest that the Korean version of the LSRS is a reliable and valid tool for examining the sibling relationship.
Adult ; Child ; Humans ; Mental Health ; Psychometrics ; Reproducibility of Results* ; Siblings* ; Social Desirability ; Surveys and Questionnaires