Also known as Aujeszky's Disease, Pseudorabies, and Mad Itch

Hosts

  • Pigs
  • Cattle
  • Horses
  • Cats
  • Dogs
  • Sheep

Pathogenesis

Sows:

  • Aerosol transmission causes bronchopneumonia followed by viremia
  • Sows will recover but some may abort

Piglets:

  • Virus spreads to neurons, causing encephalitis with convulsions
  • Many die within 2 days

Other animals:

  • Air-borne virus can infect skin wounds
  • Causes pruritus (mad itch) followed by encephalitis

Epidemiology

  • Latent virus can be reactivated by mixing new stock in with old

Diagnosis

  • ELISA for virus antibody

Control

  • England: eradication in the 1980s by serotesting (by ELISA) and culling carriers
  • Vaccines in Europe and Ireland
    • gE-deleted marker vaccines stimulate cell-mediated immunity