Breeding parameters on a mink farm infected with Aleutian mink disease virus following the use of methisoprinol

Abstract

Aleutian mink disease virus is one of the greatest threats to modern mink farming. The disease reduces fecundity and causes high mortality among kits. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of methisoprinol in counteracting the effects of Aleutian disease, both by inhibiting replication of the virus and by mitigating the harmful effects of the disease on the fecundity and weight of infected animals. The study included 300 individuals with confirmed infection, divided according to antibody titres into three experimental groups, which received a 20% methisoprinol solution, and three control groups, which did not receive the immunostimulant. In the mink from the experimental groups, the number of copies of the genetic material of the virus in the spleens and lymph nodes was one order of magnitude lower than in the case of the control groups. Mink receiving the supplement also showed higher fecundity (on average 5.83 in the experimental groups and 4.83 in the control groups), and the weight of their offspring before slaughter was over 200 g higher. Given the lack of effective methods for immunoprophylaxis and treatment, methisoprinol supplementation can be an effective means of counteracting the effects of AMDV on persistently infected farms.Electronic supplementary materialThe online version of this article (10.1007/s00705-019-04375-x) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

AMDV Vaccine: Challenges and Perspectives

“…A commonly used approach is detecting infected mink earlier on by serological testing techniques and by, subsequently, eliminating them [ 73 , 74 ]. Other techniques that have been explored or that are in development include the usage of passive anti-AMDV antibodies, antivirals, immunomodulators and the selection of mink with AMDV-tolerant traits [ 70 , 85 , 86 , 88 , 90 ]. Unfortunately, despite some positive results, these are not enough to eradicate this deadly disease, which is why the design of an effective vaccine is of primordial importance.…”

“…This is the case of a study by Kowalczyk et al [ 84 ] where female brown AMDV-positive mink were given methisoprinol (isoprinosine; inosiplex; inosine pranobex), a drug with immunopotentiating properties for which antiviral and immunostimulatory effects on Aujeszky’s and Newcastle disease have been reported by various groups [ 84 ]. Interestingly, the methisoprinol treatment of mink displayed a lower number of the AMDV DNA copies in the spleen and lymph node, as well as a higher fecundity compared to control mink [ 85 ]. More recently, Farid and Smith investigated the effect of kelp meal ( Ascophylum nodosum ) in mink infected with AMDV.…”

AMDV Vaccine: Challenges and Perspectives

“…A commonly used approach is detecting infected mink earlier on by serological testing techniques and by subsequently eliminating them [108,109]. Other techniques that have been explored or that are in development include usage of passive anti-AMDV antibodies, antivirals, immunomodulators and selection of mink with AMDV tolerant traits [70,125,126,128,130]. Unfortunately, despite some positive results, these are not enough to eradicate this deadly disease, which is why the design of an effective vaccine is of primordial importance.…”

“…This is the case of a study by Kowalczyk et al, [124] where female brown AMDV-positive mink were given methisoprinol (isoprinosine; inosiplex; inosine pranobex), a drug with immunopotentiating properties for which antiviral and immunostimulatory effects on Aujeszky's and Newcastle disease has been reported by various groups [124]. Interestingly, methisoprinol treatment of mink displayed a lower number of the AMDV DNA copies in the spleen and lymph node, as well as a higher fecundity compared to control mink [125]. More recently, Farid and Smith investigated the effect of kelp meal (Ascophylum nodosum) in mink infected with AMDV.…”

Applying Machine Learning Algorithms for the Classification of Mink Infected with Aleutian Disease Using Different Data Sources

“…Mink is the major source of the fur industry worldwide [ 1 ], and Aleutian disease (AD), which is caused by the Aleutian mink disease virus (AMDV), brings tremendous financial losses to the mink industry [ 2 ]. The AD is associated with some important traits of farmed mink, including reproductive performance [ 3 , 4 ], body size [ 5 ], feed intake [ 6 , 7 ], and pelt quality [ 8 ]. There are several methods to test for AD, including the AMDV antigen-based enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA-G), the AMDV capsid protein-based ELISA (ELISA-P), counterimmunoelectrophoresis (CIEP), and the iodine agglutination test (IAT).…”