Better Pork February 2017

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Better Pork February 2017 31
HERD HEALTH
millions or billions of dollars down to
about USD$1,000 for the same
amount of sequencing power via NGS.
Pestiviruses
Viruses in the genus pestivirus are
ribonucleic acid (RNA) viruses that
infect mammals, especially cattle,
sheep, goats and swine. The type
species of pestivirus is Bovine vial
diarrhea virus (BVDV).
A word of caution
A cautionary note is necessary
because several other viruses have
been claimed as the cause of CT in
past decades. Classical swine fever
virus (hog cholera virus) is the one
most frequently blamed. CT, howev-
er, occurs in areas and countries that
do not have hog cholera.
An astrovirus has also been im-
plicated as the cause of CT but could
not be substantiated and so fell out
of favour. We need to extend some
caution before total acceptance of this
new pestivirus as the true cause of CT.
Conclusions
So does this mean that we have
finally found the true cause of con-
genital tremors? Not just yet. Time
will tell if this new pestivirus contin-
ues to live up to these initial claims
as the cause of CT.
There is little doubt that a virus
is the cause of CT but there have
been other viruses in the past that
have been presented as the cause of
CT, all of which have proven, over
time, not to be. We will just have to
wait to see if this porcine pestivirus
stands the test of time and does
prove to be the true cause of con-
genital tremors. BP
S. Ernest Sanford, DVM, Dip Path,
Diplomate ACVP, is a Swine Veteri-
nary Consultant based in London,
Ont.
If the tremors prevent the piglets from securing a teat and suckling, then mortality
may be high from starvation and/or crushing by the sow.
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