Porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome virus (PRRSV) causes significant economic losses to the swine industry worldwide. While PRRSV has been endemic in North America since 1989, it was not until 1999 that the virus was first described in South America. Notably, recently an increased number of PRRSV outbreaks have been reported in South American countries. However, epidemiological information related to these outbreaks is limited and the genetic characteristics of the PRRSV strains circulating in the region are poorly understood. In this study, we describe the genetic analyses of PRRSV strains associated with severe PRRS outbreaks in Peru. Samples originating from 14 farms located in two Departments in Peru (Lima and Arequipa), were subjected to RT‐PCR amplification of the PRRSV ORF5 gene and sequencing followed by restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP) analysis. Results demonstrated the circulation of PRRSV‐2 in Peru. Notably ORF5 RFLP typing revealed that 15 (75%) of the PRRSV strains detected in this study belong to the RFLP 1‐7‐4 type. Phylogenetic analysis showed that the Peruvian strains are closely related to the highly virulent PRRSV 1‐7‐4 strains that emerged in the US in 2013–2014. Results here indicate the presence of highly virulent PRRSV 1‐7‐4 strains in Peru and provide important information on the geographical distribution of PRRSV, confirming the recent geographical expansion of this important swine pathogen towards South America.
Neosporosis is a parasitic disease caused by the protozoan Neospora caninum, and is associated with high rates of abortion in cattle throughout the world. The aim of the study was to determinate the seroprevalence of N. caninum in dairy cattle reared in the districts of Molinopampa and Leymebamba, Chachapoyas province, Amazonas. The study was carried out in 2002 using 265 serum samples from cows older than 2 years old that belonged to 24 dairy herds. Samples were tested to detect antibodies against N. caninum using the IFAT test. The 40.4 ± 5.0% (107/265) of the samples had antibodies in 1:200 dilution. All sampled herds had at least one seropositive animal. The prevalence of the parasite was similar in both districts and similar to described in herds from other dairy areas in the country.
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