REPRODUCTIVE-PERFORMANCE OF GILTS EXPOSED TO PORCINE PARVOVIRUS AT 56 OR 70 DAYS OF GESTATION

Abstract

Pregnant gilts (18), which were free of antibody for porcine parvovirus (PPV), were exposed oronasally to PPV on the 56th day (9 gilts) or 70th day (9 gilts) of gestation to determine whether infection at these times would affect their reproductive performance. The gilts were necropsied late in gestation or allowed to farrow and their fetuses and pigs were tested for evidence of infection. Gilts remained clinically healthy throughout the experiment and none farrowed prematurely. Litters of 7 of 9 gilts exposed to PPV at 56 days of gestation were infected transplacentally and PPV caused death of fetuses in 5 of the infected litters. These litters comprised 29 dead fetuses (2-12 litter) and 31 live fetuses or pigs (1-10/litter). PPV may have been directly or indirectly responsible for an increased frequency of stillbirth and neonatal death but the role of PPV in these conditions was difficult to assess. Litters of 6 of 9 gilts exposed to PPV at 70 days of gestation were also infected transplacentally but PPV did not cause fetal death in these litters.