Evaluation of Actinobacillus pleuropneumoniae diagnostic tests using samples from experimentally infected pigs.

Abstract

The early detection of pigs subclinically infected with A. pleuropneumoniae is a critical step in avoiding the introduction of this agent into naïve populations. Negative herds are usually monitored for the presence of A. pleuropneumoniae using serology. At least 3 different tests are available for detection of antibodies against A. pleuropneumoniae and results obtained with each of these tests often disagree. Unexpected or discordant serological results are usually further investigated by direct detection of A. pleuropneumoniae in the tonsils by isolation and/or PCR. At this time, there is no information available on how these tests compare regarding detection of A. pleuropneumoniae infection or which combination of tests provides a better definition of true infection status. In order to address these questions, we have evaluated the performance of different serological tests, isolation, and PCR for detection of A. pleuropneumoniae infection using samples from pigs experimentally infected with 7 clinically relevant serotypes. This thesis offers a comprehensive assessment of the diagnostic tools available for characterization of A. pleuropneumoniae subclinical infection.