Important Swine Disease Research Articles

The preparation of porcine circovirus type 2 (PCV2) virus-like particles using a recombinant pseudorabies virus and its application to vaccine development

Porcine circovirus type 2 (PCV2) is the primary causative agent of an economically important swine disease, now known as porcine-associated disease (PCVAD). The only structural protein of viral capsid, Cap has become the major target for development of PCV2 subunit vaccines. The purpose of this study is to express Cap of PCV2 using a recombinant pseudorabies virus (PRV) that is gE gene deficient, which is a widely used PRV marker vaccine. The recombinant PRV, gE−/PCV2cap+PRV, was constructed using homologous recombination techniques, in order to replace the upstream of the gE gene with the PCV2 cap gene. The expression of Cap during virus replication was confirmed using immunofluorescence and Western blotting analysis. The expressed Cap protein self-assembled into virus-like particles (VLPs), which was demonstrated using electromicrography. The immunization of mice or guinea pigs with purified VLPs could induce significant, specific antibody responses to PCV2 Cap. These results demonstrate an alternative to PCV2 for the development of a VLP-based subunit vaccine.

Cytokines transcript levels in lung and lymphoid organs during genotype 1 Porcine Reproductive and Respiratory Syndrome Virus (PRRSV) infection

Porcine Reproductive and Respiratory Syndrome (PRRS) is one of the most economically important diseases of swine. PRRS virus (PRRSV) infection in the pig is characterized by a weak or absent host innate immune response. The underlying mechanisms of PRRSV pathogenesis are still unclear. The analysis of transcript levels represents an alternative to immunoassays for the detection of cytokines that sometimes are difficult to detect due to their low amounts. This study sets out to determine the differences in pathogenesis and the immune response between lung, tonsil, tracheobronchial lymph node (Tb-LN) and retropharyngeal LN (Rf-LN) of PRRSV 2982 strain infected pigs. PRRSV strain 2982 avoided the onset of an effective innate immune response, especially in PRRSV main target (lung) and reservoir (tonsil) organs. PRRSV lead to an impaired expression of IFN-α and TNF-α gene expression, which finally induced a weak and delayed adaptive immune response through an inefficient IL-12 and IFN-γ expression. Finally, PRRSV replication favored the expression of the anti-inflammatory IL-10 cytokine in infected pigs.

Additive inhibition of porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome virus infection with the soluble sialoadhesin and CD163 receptors

Porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome (PRRS) is an economically important swine disease to the swine industry worldwide. Current PRRS vaccines are only partially effective and new vaccine development faces great challenges. Sialoadhesin (Sn) and CD163 are the two essential receptors for PRRSV infection of porcine alveolar macrophage (PAM). To investigate the feasibility of the soluble viral receptors for PRRS control, in the present study we generated recombinant adenovirus (rAd) expressing the four N-terminal Ig-like domains of porcine Sn (Sn4D), the fifth SRCR domain (SRCR5) or domains 5–9 (SRCR59) of porcine CD163 as porcine Fc (pFc) fusion proteins. Efficient expression of the soluble viral receptors in the rAd-transduced cells was confirmed by RT-PCR and Western blotting.To detect their antiviral activities, the soluble viral receptors were purified from the media of rAd-transduced cells and identified by Western blotting. The viral binding assay showed that the soluble receptors Sn4D-Fc and SRCR59-Fc, but not SRCR5-Fc and the control pFc, were able to bind to PRRSV particles. The viral infection blocking assays showed that co-treatment of PRRSV with different concentrations of Sn4D-Fc and SRCR59-Fc proteins resulted in a much higher (72.1%–77.6%) reduction in PRRSV-positive cell number than the single protein treatment (45.1%–60.0% or 44.0%–56.2%).To investigate the feasibility of delivering the soluble viral receptors to PAM, two pig cell lines were transduced with rAd-Sn4D-Fc and/or rAd-SRCR59-Fc using a transwell culture system. PAM cells were infected with PRRSV and then co-cultured with the rAd-transduced cells. Viral titration assay showed that co-cultivation of the infected PAM with rAd-Sn4D-Fc- and rAd-SRCR59-Fc-transduced cells resulted in much higher (by ∼3.5log) reduction in the viral titers (TCID50) than that of co-cultivation with the single vector-transduced cells (by ∼1.0log). Further studies showed that the rAd co-delivered soluble receptors Sn4D-Fc and SRCR59-Fc had dose-dependent and temporal antiviral effect against three different PRRSV strains.Since the data presented indicate an additive anti-PRRSV activity between the soluble receptors Sn4D-Fc and SRCR59-Fc, we conclude that the two rAd vectors generated will be useful for development a novel reagent for PRRS control.

Regulatory role of ASK1 in porcine circovirus type 2-induced apoptosis

Porcine circovirus type 2 (PCV2), a major causative agent of postweaning multisystemic wasting syndrome which is an emerging and important swine disease, can induce apoptotic responses in vitro and in vivo. However, the molecular mechanism of PCV2-induced apoptosis is not well understood. Apoptosis signal-regulating kinase 1 (ASK1), serves as an upstream enzyme that activates the JNK and p38 MAPK pathways, has been shown to play a target role in the regulation of apoptosis. Here, we showed that PCV2 infection induced ASK1 phosphorylation which preceded activation of JNK1/2 and p38 signaling in the cultured cells, and that the phosphatidylinostol 3-kinase (PI3K)/Akt signaling triggered by PCV2 infection limited the extent of JNK1/2 and p38 activation and thereby apoptotic cell death. Furthermore, inhibition of JNK and p38 activation is associated with PI3K-dependent negative-regulation of ASK1 in the PCV2-infected cells. These results indicate an important regulatory role of ASK1 in PCV2-induced apoptotic responses.

English

Porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome (PRRS) is an economically important swine disease that has devastated the swine industry worldwide. Vaccination with live attenuated vaccine or inactivated vaccine is the main treatment to control PRRS. However, the disadvantages such as virulence resumption of the attenuated vaccine and low immunogenicity of the inactivated vaccine call for a more efficient and safer genetically engineered vaccine. In this study, the structural protein GP5 of the PRRS virus (PRRSV), one of the major protective antigens which stimulates a protective immune response was selected to develop a genetically engineered subunit vaccine. In order to promote the immune reaction of the host to GP5, heat shock protein 70 (Hsp70) was selected as immuno-adjuvant to enhance PRRSV GP5 immunogenicity. The Hsp70 gene was amplified by PCR from attenuated Mycobacterium bovis, and the PRRSV GP5 gene was amplified by RT-PCR from the total RNA of PRRSV SCQ strain which was isolated, identified and maintained by the Animal Biotechnological Center, Sichuan Agricultural University, China. The fusion expressing plasmid pET32-GP5-Hsp70 was constructed and expressed in Escherichia coli BL21. Ni2+-chelating resin was used to purify the His-tagged fusion protein expressed under optimized expressing conditions. The rabbit anti-GP5-Hsp70 fusion protein antibody was made, and Western blot assay verified the successful expression of the fusion protein, making it possible for further investigation whether Hsp70 could improve the immunogenicity of the PRRSV GP5 subunit vaccine, or evaluating the immunogenicity of the GP5-Hsp70 subunit vaccine. Key words: Porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome virus (PRRSV) GP5 gene, Mycobacterium bovis Hsp70 gene, cloning, prokaryotic expression, identification.

The papain-like protease of porcine epidemic diarrhea virus negatively regulates type I interferon pathway by acting as a viral deubiquitinase

Porcine epidemic diarrhea virus (PEDV) is the cause of an economically important swine disease. Previous studies suggested that PEDV does not elicit a robust IFN response, but the mechanism(s) used to evade or block this innate immune response was not known. In this study, we found that PEDV infection blocked synthetic dsRNA-induced IFN-β production by interfering with the activation of interferon regulatory factor 3 (IRF3). We identified PEDV replicase encoded papain-like protease 2 (PLP2) as an IFN antagonist that depends on catalytic activity for its function. We show that levels of ubiquitinated proteins are reduced during PEDV infection and that PEDV PLP2 has deubiquitinase (DUB) activity that recognizes and processes both K-48 and K-63 linked polyubiquitin chains. Furthermore, we found that PEDV PLP2 strongly inhibits RIG-I- and STING-activated IFN expression and that PEDV PLP2 can be co-immunoprecipitated with and deubiquitinates RIG-I and STING, the key components of the signalling pathway for IFN expression. These results show that PEDV infection suppresses production of IFN-β and provides evidence indicating that the PEDV papain-like protease 2 acts as a viral DUB to interfere with the RIG-I- and STING-mediated signalling pathway.

Single-Tube Multiplexed Molecular Detection of Endemic Porcine Viruses in Combination with Background Screening for Transboundary Diseases

Detection of several pathogens with multiplexed real-time quantitative PCR (qPCR) assays in a one-step setup allows the simultaneous detection of two endemic porcine and four different selected transboundary viruses. Reverse transcription (RT)-qPCR systems for the detection of porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome virus (PRRSV) and porcine circovirus type 2 (PCV2), two of the most economically important pathogens of swine worldwide, were combined with a screening system for diseases notifiable to the World Organization of Animal Health, namely, classical and African swine fever, foot-and-mouth disease, and Aujeszky's disease. Background screening was implemented using the identical fluorophore for all four different RT-qPCR assays. The novel multiplex RT-qPCR system was validated with a large panel of different body fluids and tissues from pigs and other animal species. Both reference samples and clinical specimens were used for a complete evaluation. It could be demonstrated that a highly sensitive and specific parallel detection of the different viruses was possible. The assays for the notifiable diseases were even not affected by the simultaneous amplification of very high loads of PRRSV- and PCV2-specific sequences. The novel broad-spectrum multiplex assay allows in a unique form the routine investigation for endemic porcine pathogens with exclusion diagnostics of the most important transboundary diseases in samples from pigs with unspecific clinical signs, such as fever or hemorrhages. The new system could significantly improve early detection of the most important notifiable diseases of swine and could lead to a new approach in syndromic surveillance.

Activation of the Phosphatidylinositol 3-Kinase/Akt Signaling Pathway during Porcine Circovirus Type 2 Infection Facilitates Cell Survival and Viral Replication

Virus infection activates host cellular signaling pathways, including the phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3K)/Akt pathway, which regulates diverse cellular activities related to cell growth, survival, and apoptosis. The present study demonstrated for the first time that porcine circovirus type 2 (PCV2), a major causative agent of postweaning multisystemic wasting syndrome, which is an emerging and important swine disease, can transiently induce the PI3K/Akt pathway in cultured cells at an early step during PCV2 infection. Activation of the PI3K/Akt signal was also induced by UV-irradiated PCV2, indicating that virus replication was not required for this induction. Inhibition of PI3K activation leads to reduced virus yield, which is associated with decreased viral DNA replication and lower virus protein expression. However, inhibition of PI3K activation greatly enhanced apoptotic responses as evidenced by the cleavage of poly-ADP ribose polymerase and caspase-3 as well as DNA fragmentation using terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase-mediated dUTP-biotin nick end-labeling staining during the early stage of PCV2 infection. Furthermore, the pancaspase inhibitor zVAD.fmk alleviated the reduction in Akt phosphorylation levels by inhibiting PI3K activation, indicating that the signaling promotes cell survival and thereby favors viral replication. These results reveal that an antiapoptotic role for the PI3K/Akt pathway induced by PCV2 infection to suppress premature apoptosis for improved virus growth after infection, extending our understanding of the molecular mechanism of PCV2 infection.

Discovery of a novel Torque teno sus virus species: genetic characterization, epidemiological assessment and disease association

The study describes a novel Torque teno sus virus (TTSuV) species, provisionally named Torque teno sus virus k2b (TTSuVk2b), originally found in commercial pig sera by applying the rolling-circle amplification technique. Full-length sequences of TTSuVk2b were obtained, annotated and used in the phylogenetic analyses, which revealed that TTSuVk2b is a novel Anellovirus species within the genus Kappatorquevirus of the family Anelloviridae. Quantitative PCR techniques were developed to determine total TTSuV DNA quantities as well as the prevalence and viral DNA quantities of TTSuV1, TTSuVk2a and TTSuVk2b. The mean total TTSuV load in seven commercial sera was determined at 6.3 log(10) DNA copies ml(-1) of serum, with TTSuVk2b loads being the lowest at 4.5 log(10) DNA copies ml(-1) of serum. Subsequently, prevalence and loads of TTSuVs were determined in pig sera from 17 countries. TTSuVk2b prevalence ranged from 0 to 100 % with viral loads from 3.3 to 4.6 log(10) copies ml(-1) of sera. TTSuVk2a, so far the only species in the genus Kappatorquevirus, has been linked to an economically important swine disease, namely post-weaning multisystemic wasting syndrome (PMWS). Considering the grouping of TTSuVk2b in the same genus as TTSuVk2a, TTSuVk2b prevalence and viral DNA load were determined in PMWS-affected animals and healthy counterparts. This revealed that TTSuVk2a and TTSuVk2b are not only genetically related, but also that their viral loads in serum are elevated in PMWS animals compared with those of healthy pen mates. In summary, the present work describes a novel TTSuV species including its genetic characterization, epidemiological assessment and potential disease association.

Molecular epidemiological investigation of porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome virus in Northwest China from 2007 to 2010

Porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome (PRRS) is an economically important swine disease affecting swine worldwide. Northwest China has a sparse pig population and there is no comprehensive information currently available on PRRSV infection. In this study, we analyzed the epidemiological features and genetic diversity of PRRSV from this region. 322 field-isolated tissues or serum samples were collected from aborted pig fetuses or pigs with respiratory disease from 15 herds, twice over a period of 2 years. PRRSV infection was determined and virus strains were classified by the sequencing of GP5. We found that 35.9 % of the animals were PRRSV-positive, and the average prevalence in 2007-2008 and 2009-2010 was 46.5 and 29.3 %, respectively. To further investigate the genetic divergence of PRRSV samples collected from 2007 to 2010, 32 strains were isolated for GP5 sequencing and analysis, and phylogenetic trees were created based on GP5 amino acid sequences. All PRRSVs were of the North American genotype and belonged to the highly pathogenic HP-PRRSV subgenotype. Isolates from the Xinjiang province formed a tightly clustered branch and were closely related to an evolutionary intermediate subgroup isolate. Virus sequences from 2007 to 2008 were compared with those from 2009 to 2010 from the same herd. New mutations were found in isolates after 2009 and focused on nucleotides in the GP5 antibody decoy epitope. PRRSV strains in Northwest China from 2007 to 2010 were similar to those from other regions of China, with some regional characteristics. These results contribute to the knowledge of PRRSV epidemiology in China.

Mucosal vaccines to prevent porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome: a new perspective

Porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome (PRRS) is an economically important infectious disease of swine. Constant emergence of variant strains of PRRS virus (PPRSV) and virus-mediated immune evasion followed by viral persistence result in increased incidence and recurrence of PRRS in swine herds. Current live and killed PRRSV vaccines administered by a parenteral route are ineffective in inducing complete protection. Thus, new approaches in design and delivery of PRRSV vaccines are needed to reduce the disease burden of the swine industry. Induction of an effective mucosal immunity to several respiratory pathogens by direct delivery of a vaccine to mucosal sites has proven to be effective in a mouse model. However, there are challenges in eliciting mucosal immunity to PRRS due to our limited understanding of safe and potent mucosal adjuvants, which could potentiate the mucosal immune response to PRRSV. The purpose of this review is to discuss methods for induction of protective mucosal immune responses in the respiratory tract of pigs. The manuscript also discusses how PRRSV modulates innate, adaptive and immunoregulatory responses at both mucosal and systemic sites of infected and/or vaccinated pigs. This information may help in the design of innovative mucosal vaccines to elicit superior cross-protective immunity against divergent field strains of PRRSV.

Efficient Production of Porcine Circovirus Type 2 Capsid Protein using Baculovirus

Porcine circovirus type 2 (PCV2) is a single-stranded circular DNA virus associated with Postweaning multisystemic wasting syndrome (PMWS), which is considered to be an important infectious swine viral disease. PCV2 capsid protein encoded by ORF2 is a structural protein and expected as the high immunogenicity protein. In this study, we generated recombinant baculovirus containing ORF2 of PCV2 and analyzed the optimal conditions for the production of capsid protein in insect cell. Production and status of recombinant capsid protein in insect cell were confirmed by SDS-PAGE and Western blot analysis using His tag antibody and anti-PCV2 serum. The yield of recombinant capsid protein was high like as shown visible on SDS-PAGE. Optimal multiplicity of infection (MOI) and infection time of recombinant virus were determined as 5 MOI and 4 days, respectively. ORF2 is known to have N-linked glycosylation site, but we couldn't detect the glycosylation of recombinant protein in insect cells.

One world, one health: the threat of emerging swine diseases. A North American perspective.

The predicted expansion of global livestock populations to meet the food and fibre demands of the growing human population raises numerous concerns, including the implications for disease emergence. The evolution of animal production in developed countries has been marked by substantial reduction in farm numbers with correspondingly larger herd sizes, specialization of enterprises, concentration or ownership and vertical integration. Innovations in the structure and operations of swine production have been largely driven by efforts to improve swine health, and the impact of several important swine diseases has declined. Productivity in swine production and the safety of pork products have increased markedly. The most significant emerging infectious diseases of pigs over the last decades have been highly host-specific viruses rather than multihost pathogens. While some bacterial pathogens of pigs have increased in importance in modern systems, improved management systems and biosecurity have enabled herd sizes to increase without negative impact on swine health. The most vulnerable scenario for disease emergence in swine, particularly for zoonotic agents, may be rapid expansion and intensification of swine industries in developing countries without incorporating the stringent biosecurity measures and veterinary oversight that have helped maintain the health and productivity of large herds in North America. Factors that may influence disease emergence in the long term include regulatory measures (particularly related to antimicrobial use), genetics and feeding practices.

African Swine Fever: An Epidemiological Update

African swine fever (ASF) is one of the most important swine diseases, mainly because of its significant sanitary and socioeconomic consequences. This review gives an update on the epidemiology of the disease and reviews key issues and strategies to improve control of the disease and promote its eradication. Several characteristics of ASF virus (ASFV) make its control and eradication difficult, including the absence of available vaccines, marked virus resistance in infected material and contaminated animal products, and a complex epidemiology and transmission involving tick reservoir virus interactions. The incidence of ASF has not only increased on the African continent over the last 15 years, so that it now affects West African countries, Mauritius and Madagascar, but it has also reached new areas, such as the Caucasus region in 2007. In fact, the rapid spread of the disease on the European continent and the uncontrolled situation in the Russian Federation places all countries at great risk as a result of intense global trade. The proximity of some affected areas to the European Union (EU) borders (<150 km) has increased concerns about the potential economic consequences of an ASF incursion into the EU pig sector. Establishing effective surveillance, control and eradication programmes that implicate all actors (veterinarians, farmers, and policy makers) is essential for controlling ASF. African swine fever -free countries should be aware of the potential risk of ASF incursion and implement risk reduction measures such as trade controls and other sanitary measures. This review will discuss lessons learnt so far about ASF control, current challenges to its control and future studies needed to support global efforts at prevention and control.

Retrospective study on Porcine circovirus-2 by nested pcr and real time pcr in archived tissues from 1978 in Brazil

Porcine circovirus-2 (PCV-2) infection is currently considered an important disease of swine. The pathogenic agent was first described in Brazil in 2000. This study detected the PCV-2 DNA in four Brazilian pig tissues collected between 1978 and 1979. This observation is the oldest description of this virus in Brazil.

Plasmid containing CpG motifs enhances the efficacy of porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome live attenuated vaccine

Porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome (PRRS) is now among the most important swine diseases that affect the Chinese swine industry. Both killed and live attenuated vaccines are currently used against the disease, but neither of them could provide full protection after vaccination. In the present study, the adjuvanticity of a plasmid containing CpG motifs (pUC18-CpG) was introduced to enhance the efficacy of a commercial PRRS live attenuated vaccine. After vaccination, PRRSV-specific antibodies, PRRSV-specific cytokines, and clinical parameters were studied and compared between different vaccinated groups. During a following challenge study, co-administration of pUC18-CpG with the vaccine could confer higher protection rate. Our results have shown that co-administration of pUC18-CpG with the vaccine could elicit more potent adaptive immune response and provide better protection.

Phylogenetic networks to study the origin and evolution of porcine circovirus type 2 (PCV2) in Cuba

Porcine circovirus type 2 (PCV2) is the essential etiological infectious agent of postweaning multisystemic wasting syndrome (PMWS), which is considered one of the most economically important swine diseases worldwide. In this study, a comparison between methodologies based on classical phylogenetic trees and networks to infer the origin of PCV2 in Cuba was performed. In addition, the mechanisms supporting the genetic variability of Cuban PCV2 populations were investigated. A retrospective study, using pig sera collected in Cuba from 1993 to 2004, to evaluate the presence of PCV2 genome and PCV2-specific antibodies was also conducted and revealed a lack of evidence of PCV2 infection in Cuban swine from years 1993 to 2004. A total of 24 complete Cuban PCV2 sequences collected between 2005 and 2009 from different regions of the country were analyzed. Three classical methods of phylogenetic analysis, namely Neighbour-Joining, Maximum Parsimony and Bayesian Inference, as well as haplotype network construction, were used. Whereas the classical phylogenetic trees suggested different origins for the Cuban PCV2 strains, the haplotype network revealed a direct connection between all the Cuban sequences in agreement with the obtained epidemiological and viral sequence data. Moreover, the importation of pigs carried out in 2005 from the Quebec-Ontario region, Canada, seems to be the most likely origin of PCV2 in Cuba. Likewise, the genetic variability of Cuban PCV2 sequences was supported by geographic segregation and positive selection pressure with estimated rates of nucleotide substitution on the order of 3.12 × 10 −3 and 6.57 × 10 −3 substitutions/site/year, which are closer to those reported for RNA viruses.

Porcine Circovirus Type 2 Morphogenesis in a Clone Derived from the L35 Lymphoblastoid Cell Line

Porcine circovirus type 2 (PCV2) is the essential infectious agent of post-weaning multisystemic wasting syndrome(PMWS), one of the most important diseases of swine. Although several studies have described differentbiological properties of the virus, some aspects of its replication cycle, including ultrastructural alterations, remain unknown. The aim of the present study was to describe for the first time a complete morphogenesis study of PCV2 in a clone of the lymphoblastoid L35 cell line at the ultrastructural level using electron microscopy techniques. Cells were infected with PCV2 at a multiplicity of infection of 10 and examined at 0, 6, 12, 24, 48, 60 and 72h post-infection. PCV2 was internalized by endocytosis, after which the virus aggregated in intracytoplasmic inclusion bodies (ICIs). Subsequently, PCV2 was closely associated with mitochondria, completing a first cytoplasmic phase. The virus entered the nucleus for replication and virus assembly and encapsidation occurred with the participation of the nuclear membrane. Immature virions left the nucleus and formed ICIs in a second cytoplasmic phase. The results suggest that at the end of the replication cycle (between 24 and 48h), PCV2 was released either by budding of mature virion clusters or by lysis of apoptotic or dead cells. In conclusion, the L35-derived clone represents a suitable in-vitro model for PCV2 morphogenesis studies and characterization of the PCV2 replication cycle.

An ELISA based on a truncated soluble ORF2 protein for the detection of PCV2 antibodies in domestic pigs

Postweaning multisystemic wasting syndrome (PMWS) is an important swine disease that is closely associated with porcine circovirus type 2 (PCV2). The capsid protein (Cap protein) is a major structural protein that has at least three immunoreactive regions, and it can be a suitable candidate antigen for detecting the specific antibodies of a PCV2 infection. In the present study, an indirect enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (TcELISA) based on a truncated soluble Cap protein produced in Escherichia coli (E.coli) was established and validated for the diagnostic PCV2 antibodies in swine. The TcELISA was validated by comparison with an indirect immunofluorescence assay (IIFA). The diagnostic sensitivity (DSN), specificity (DSP), and accuracy of the TcELISA were 88.6%, 90.7% and 89.4%, respectively. The agreement rate was 89.38% between results obtained with TcELISA and IIFA on 113 field sera. A cross-reactivity assay showed that the method was PCV2-specific by comparison with other sera of viral disease. Therefore,the TcELISA will be helpful for the development of a reliable serology diagnostic test for large scale detection of PCV2 antibodies and for the evaluation of vaccine against PCV2 in swine.

Swine influenza vaccines: current status and future perspectives

Swine influenza is an important contagious disease in pigs caused by influenza A viruses. Although only three subtypes of influenza A viruses, H1N1, H1N2 and H3N2, predominantly infect pigs worldwide, it is still a big challenge for vaccine manufacturers to produce efficacious vaccines for the prevention and control of swine influenza. Swine influenza viruses not only cause significant economic losses for the swine industry, but are also important zoonotic pathogens. Vaccination is still one of the most important and effective strategies to prevent and control influenza for both the animal and human population. In this review, we will discuss the current status of swine influenza worldwide as well as current and future options to control this economically important swine disease.