Postweaning Multisystemic Wasting Syndrome (PMWS) in the Philippines: Porcine Circovirus Type 2 (PCV2) Detection and Characterization

Abstract

Four swine facilities located in Northern Luzon, in the Philippines, showed lesions and clinical signs similar to those described in post weaning multisystemic wasting syndrome (PMWS). Post-mortem and histopathological examination revealed the presence of typical lymphoid lesions caused by porcine circovirus type 2 (PCV2). An in situ hybridization (ISH) technique allowed the detection of PCV2 nucleic acid associated with the lesions in target tissues. PCV2 DNA from paraffin embedded tissues was extracted, purified and sequenced. The phylogenetic analysis of the sequences obtained confirmed their identity, and grouped them into a PCV2 subgroup, together with some Canadian, French and Dutch isolates. This report is the first description of the presence of PMWS in the Philippines.