Blue eye disease (blue eye disease, BE, paramyxovirus)

Description

This viral disease is caused by a paramyxovirus; it has mainly been detected in Mexico, but also in other countries (not in Europe). It causes nervous symptoms and often produces corneal opacity (developing a blue color). This disease is unique to pigs. When it appears in a susceptible breeding farm, the first clinical signs are usually seen in the farrowing rooms.

 

Symptoms

Sows

• Some animals have bluish eyes.
• Increase in the rate of returns, which lasts about six months.
• There may be abortions and stillbirths.

Boars

• Up to 40% have testicular enlargement; usually unilateral, followed by shrinkage.
• Loss of fertility.

Lactating piglets

• They have a hunched posture, and show coarse hair for a short time.
• They develop acute neurological symptoms.
• Difficulty in walking, they begin to tremble and sit in abnormal postures.
• Some are lying on their side, making rowing motions with their legs and they move their eyeballs from side to side.
• Some Piglets have watery eyes and their eyelids become swollen and sticky.
• Mortality is up to 90%.
• It can affect up to 65% of litters.

Nursery and fattening

• Most young piglets can develop a bluish color of their pupils.
• The disease slowly disappears spontaneously after several weeks.
• Piglets of more than 1 month of age or older show milder transient symptoms such as loss of appetite, fever, sneezing and coughing.
• Neurological symptoms are less frequent.

 

Causes / contributing factors

• Carrier pigs.
• Nasal dissemination.
• Mechanic dissemination.

 

Diagnosis

• In severe / acute outbreaks a presumptive diagnosis can be made based on clinical signs.
• Confirm diagnosis by serological tests.
• Isolation of virus from brain tissue.
• Histopathologic lesions especially in the brain are highly suggestive.

 

Control/Prevention

• There is no effective treatment.
• Get replacement animals from negative farms.

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