Abstract

Previously healthy sows, seropositive to Mycoplasma hyopneumoniae, developed clinical signs of mycoplasmosis, as well as increasing amounts of antibodies to M. hyopneumoniae during an outbreak of the disease in a herd. During the early phase of the outbreak, young piglets (2 weeks) with maternal antibodies remained healthy while older seronegative piglets (4-7 weeks) developed the disease. The duration of the maternal antibodies to M. hyopneumoniae varied between litters and was related to the amount of antibodies in the serum of the dam. In sows, the level of serum antibodies decreased continuously from 4 weeks ante partum to partus, and the level of antibodies in the whey of colostrum was comparable to that in serum 4 weeks ante partum. After loss of maternal antibodies to M. hyopneumoniae, seropositive animals were not found among piglets younger than 9 weeks. Therefore peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) were collected from various age categories of piglets in order to measure the ability to produce antibodies to M. hyopneumoniae in vitro. PBMC obtained from piglets aged 1 and 3 weeks produced few antibodies to M. hyopneumoniae. Significantly higher levels of antibodies to M. hyopneumoniae were produced by PBMC obtained from pigs aged 5-9 weeks. Thus, the ability of PBMC to produce antibodies to M. hyopneumoniae in vitro seemed to be age-dependent. (C) 1998 Elsevier Science B.V.

Keywords

pig; Mycoplasma hyopneumoniae; maternal immunity; immunity; antibody; age; piglet; sow

Published in

Veterinary Microbiology
1998, Volume: 60, number: 2-4, pages: 193-205
Publisher: ELSEVIER SCIENCE BV

SLU Authors

• Fossum, Caroline

  • Department of Veterinary Microbiology, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences
    

UKÄ Subject classification

Microbiology


Publication identifier

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/S0378-1135(98)00155-2

Permanent link to this page (URI)

https://res.slu.se/id/publ/106593