PCR Analysis for the Identification of Porcine Reproductive and Respiratory Syndrome Virus in Boar Semen

Abstract

AbstractIn 1987, a disease syndrome characterized by reproductive and respiratory symptoms in pigs was first described in the United States (1). Late-term abortions, increased numbers of stillborn and weak pigs, poor conception in breeding herds, along with respiratory distress and high mortality in suckling, weaned, and grow-finish pigs was observed (2,3). Similar outbreaks were also described in Europe in 1990 (4). In 1991, the etiologic agent was identified as an enveloped, single-stranded RNA (ssRNA) virus and tentatively classified in the Arteriviridae family, which includes lactate dehydrogenase-elevating virus, equine arteritis virus, and simian hemorrhagic fever virus (2,5,6). The porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome virus (PRRSV) or Lelystad virus (the European PRRSV isolate) has a genome comprised of seven open reading frames (ORFs). ORFs 1a and 1b; ORFs 2-6 and ORF 7 are predicted to encode for the RNA polymerase, viral membrane associated proteins, and nucleocapsid, respectively (7).KeywordsNest Polymerase Chain ReactionEquine Arteritis VirusLelystad VirusBoar SemenNest Polymerase Chain Reaction ProductThese keywords were added by machine and not by the authors. This process is experimental and the keywords may be updated as the learning algorithm improves.