Detection and characterisation of porcine circovirus 2 from Ugandan pigs

Porcine Circovirus 2(PCV2) is associated with a number of clinical syndromes that lead to serious economic impacts on pig productivity. Although the virus is believed to be distributed worldwide, none of its associated syndromes have been confirmed in Ugandan pigs. The purpose of our study was to assess the freedom of Ugandan pigs from PCV2 infection. PCR and immunohistochemistry were performed on samples of pig lymph nodes collected from an abattoir. The virus was demonstrated in three samples using both PCR and immunohistochemistry. Phylogenetic analysis of the sequences showed that the DNA from the three samples belonged to different strains and were clustered together with the European- like (PCV2b) genotypes. This finding suggests that PCV2 infection and its associated syndromes could be of significance to pig production in Uganda.