Abstract: To diagnose an infectious disease suspected as swine pseudorabies (PR) in swine farm in North China, epidemiological investigation, clinical observation and laboratory examination were performed. High mortality in piglets, abortion in sows and low mortality in finishing pigs were major clinical signs. Tonsil hyperaemia and ulcer, pneumonedema, increased pericardial effusion and meningeal congestion were observed in piglets. Histopathological microscopies were as necrotizing tonsillitis, hemorrhagic lymphadenitis, interstitial pneumonia, interstitial myocarditis, and nonsuppurative encephalitis. Rabbits were injected with the tonsil, lung and brain tissue homogenate supernatant of pigs with the clinical symptom, and the typical clinical syndrome such as extra tickle and acute death could be observed. The pseudorabies virus (PRV) gD gene specific fragment was amplified from DNA extracted in piglet brain by PCR. The result of serologic survey demonstrated that 63% (63 of 100) pigs were positive for antibodies against PRV. The results showed that PRV infection was the etiologic agents in this swine farm.

Key words: swine; pseudorabies; diagnosis