Efficacy of concurrent vaccination with modified-live PRRSV-1 and PRRSV-2 vaccines against heterologous dual PRRSV-1 and PRRSV-2 challenge in late term pregnancy gilts

ABSTRACT The objective of this study was to evaluate the effect of concurrent vaccination with a porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome virus (PRRSV)-1 modified-live virus (MLV) vaccine and a PRRSV-2 MLV vaccine against a dual heterologous PRRSV-1 and PRRSV-2 challenge in late term pregnancy gilts. Gilts were concurrently administered PRRSV-1 and PRRSV-2 MLV vaccines at 21 days prior to breeding at separate anatomical sites and were inoculated intranasally with both PRRSV types at 93 days of gestation. Vaccinated gilts had a higher number of live-born and weaned pigs, and a decrease in stillbirths compared to the unvaccinated control group following a dual challenge. Concurrent vaccination resulted also in the reduction of both PRRSV-1 and PRRSV-2 viremia which correlated with an increase in the number of PRRSV-1 and PRRSV-2 specific interferon-γ secreting cells (IFN-γ-SC). We believe the T cell responses contributed to the reduction of both PRRSV-1 and PRRSV-2 viremia. The results presented here demonstrate that concurrent vaccination with PRRSV-1 and PRRSV-2 MLV vaccines improves reproductive performance, reduces viremia of PRRSV-1 and PRRSV-2, and induces protective T cell reactions against dual PRRSV-1 and PRRSV-2 challenge in late term pregnancy gilts without local and systemic adverse reactions related to concurrent vaccination.