Aujeszky’s Disease (Pseudorabies) in pigs: An updated review of current knowledge and control measures

Abstract

Pigs are the major reservoir and natural host of Aujeszky's disease, an infectious disease caused by Suid herpesvirus 1 (SHV-1). The illness is widespread throughout the world and has a major effect on pig farm output and animal health. Clinical symptoms can include neurological problems in piglets, respiratory diseases during the growth period, and reproductive disorders in pregnant sows, depending on the age and immune condition of the host. Establishing a latent infection in sensory nerve ganglia, which permits virus reactivation and sustains circulation within the population, is a crucial feature of SHV-1. Direct contact, aerosols, fomites, and vertical transmission from sow to fetus are all methods of transmission. The existence of feral pigs as an extra reservoir and farm management elements like population density and inadequate biosecurity increase epidemiological complexity. Clinical symptoms and pathology are combined with laboratory confirmation using molecular, serological, and immunohistochemical techniques to make the diagnosis. Aujeszky's disease control depends on the combination of active and passive surveillance, stringent biosecurity implementation, and vaccination, especially marker vaccines based on the DIVA method. Even though some nations have attained disease-free status, problems still exist because of animal migration and reintroductions from wild reservoirs. Thus, a risk-based control strategy is essential to permanently lessening the effects of this illness.