PCVAD is diagnosed through clinical signs and laboratory confirmation.

According to Joaquim Segalés, DVM, Ph.D.,¹ the following criteria must be present for a PCVAD diagnosis:

1. Compatible clinical signs (wasting) and gross lesions
2. Characteristic microscopic lesions in lymphoid tissues (lymphocyte depletion with granulomatous inflammation)
3. Presence of PCV2 (antigen or nucleic acid) within lymphoid lesions

A herd case definition has been proposed by the EU consortium on PCVAD (project 513928):

1. Clinical appearance of disease at the herd level with a significant increase in postweaning mortality and wasting in pigs compared with historical herd levels.
2. Pathological and histopathological diagnosis of PCVAD with fulfillment of the criteria for individual cases of PCVAD

PCVAD can be confirmed only by demonstrating the presence of clinical signs, microscopic signs and the actual virus in affected tissues.

For more information about diagnostics and sample selection, visit the Iowa State University Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory website.

For more information about the EU consortium on control of PCVAD and its research, visit www.pcvd.org.