Postweaning Multisystemic Wasting Syndrome (PMWS) in pigs with particular emphasis on the causative agent, the mode of transmission, the diagnostic tools and the control measures. A review

Abstract

Summary Postweaning multisystemic wasting syndrome (PMWS) is a worldwide emerging disease of weaned piglets. The objective of this review is to summarize the current knowledge regarding PMWS, its causative agent, mode of transmission, diagnostic techniques to detect PCV‐2, the possible control measures, and the association of PMWS and PCV‐2 with porcine dermatitis and nephropathy syndrome (PDNS). The causative agent of PMWS is porcine circovirus type 2 (PCV‐2), however, not all pigs infected with PCV‐2 develop the syndrome. PCV‐2 is consistently associated with PMWS and PMWS is considered not to occur without it. Both the syndrome and the virus are not regarded as new. Co‐factors that could activate PCV‐2 to cause PMWS are considered. This enigmatic nature of both the syndrome and the virus is triggering a concern towards uncertainties of the viral transmission, its introduction in to the herd, effective tools of diagnosis, and control strategies.