More confirmation of the consequences of co-infections involving these particular viruses.
The writer has long claimed Porcine Circovirus (PCV2) as the grand-daddy of most of the constant problems in pig health spreading serious disease to people.
We do, of course, have both Circovirus and HEV (Hepatitis E) in the UK, in both pigs and people, and this blog has been commenting on both for many years. You can find hundreds of posts. here and thousands elsewhere.
Hepatitis E is, of course, a very real human risk and has been both reported in pig farmers in Cornwall and known to be carried by some veterinarians, for many years.
We continue to be amazed that the veterinarians are so relaxed about carrying a disease that is especially dangerous to pregnant women and children: the power of self-deception, and constant self-promoting public relations, we suppose. Public relations is a more powerful drug on those benefiting, than those targeted.
The TV programme "All Creatures Great and Small," and dozens of similar programmes lauding veterinarians have a lot to answer for, in a world sinking into a morass of zoonotic disease stalking humanity, homes and hospitals.
Anyway, the Chinese are picking up on the connections between two different viruses in pigs, be sure to read the full Pig333 report here.
Fatal disease associated with Swine Hepatitis E virus and Porcine circovirus 2 co-infection in four weaned pigs in China
17-Apr-2015
Yifei Yang, et al. Fatal disease associated with Swine Hepatitis E virus and Porcine circovirus 2 co-infection in four weaned pigs in China. BMC Veterinary Research 2015, 11:77 doi:10.1186/s12917-015-0375-z
In recent decades, Porcine circovirus 2 (PCV2) infection has been recognized as the causative agent of postweaning multisystemic wasting syndrome, and has become a threat to the swine industry. Hepatitis E virus (HEV) is another high prevalent pathogen in swine in many regions of the world. PCV2 and HEV are both highly prevalent in pig
farms in China...
...HEV and PCV2 co-infection in piglets was detected in four out of seven dead pigs from two pig farms in Hebei, China, producing severe pathological changes. The natural co-infection of HEV and PCV2 in pigs in China has rarely been reported. We speculate that co-infection with PCV2 and HEV may bring some negative effect on pig production and recommend that more attention should be paid to this phenomenon.
