Augmented immune responses in pigs immunized with an inactivated porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome virus containing the deglycosylated glycoprotein 5 under field conditions.

PURPOSE: Porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome virus (PRRSV) leads to major economic losses in the swine industry. Vaccination is the most effective method to control the disease by PRRSV.

MATERIALS AND METHODS: In this study, the efficacy of a glycoprotein (GP) 5-modified inactivated vaccine was investigated in pigs. The study was performed in three farms: farm A, which was porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome (PRRS)-negative, farm B (PRRS-active), which showed clinical signs of PRRS but had not used vaccines, and farm C (PRRS-stable), which had a history of endemic PRRS over the past years, but showed no more clinical signs after periodic administration of modified live virus vaccine.

RESULTS: The inactivated vaccine induced great enhancement in serum neutralizing antibody titer, which was sufficient to protect pigs from further infections of PRRSV in a farm where pre-existing virus was circulating.

CONCLUSION: These results indicated that vaccination with the inactivated vaccine composed of viruses possessing deglycosylated GP5 would provide enhanced protection to pigs from farms suffering from endemic PRRSV.