Seroprevalence of porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome virus in Dutch weaning pigs.

To determine whether under Dutch field conditions PRRSV infection occurs in weaning pigs before the finishing period, a cross-sectional study was performed on 32 breeding farms to estimate the seroprevalence of antibodies directed against PRRSV in 4- to 5-week-old and 8- to 9-week-old pigs. Farms were visited twice within 5 months, and during each sampling an average of 20 sera were randomly collected from a unit of 4- to 5-week-old and a unit of 8- to 9-week-old pigs. The sera (n = 2568) were tested in the IDEXX-ELISA for the presence of antibodies directed against PRRSV. The seroprevalence of PRRSV in 4- to 5-week-old pigs and 8- to 9-week-old pigs varied between both samplings for each farm. The seroprevalence in the younger pigs was significantly higher than in the older pigs for both samplings (p < 0.05), suggesting the presence of maternal antibodies. In addition, a longitudinal study was performed to evaluate the IDEXX-ELISA in detecting maternal antibodies directed against PRRSV and to determine the rate of decline of these antibodies in field sera. From serological results of eight litters, an average decay function was computed to quantify the maternal immunity to PRRSV. A seroprevalence in 8- to 9-weeks-old pigs of > or = 0.20 was calculated to indicate an active immune response to PRRSV. In the cross-sectional study in the pigs twenty-three percent of the units with 8- to 9-week-old pigs were considered to have an active serological response against PRRSV. We conclude that most Dutch pigs are seronegative for PRRSV at the start of the finishing period, since the results of this study showed that 77% of the units with 8- to 9-week-old pigs had a seroprevalence < 0.20.