Suid Herpesvirus 1

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