Seroprevalence of porcine respiratory coronavirus infection in Spanish breeding sows

The seroprevalence of porcine respiratory coronavirus (PRCV) among breeding sows was estimated in Castilla y León, the largest region in Spain, by a cross-sectional study. Serum samples (1247) were taken from sows from 58 different herds for this purpose throughout 1988 and were tested by a monoclonal antibody-capture ELISA (MACELISA), a test which detects antibodies to both transmissible gastroenteritis virus (TGEV) and PRCV. In order to discriminate positive sera to both coronaviruses, a blocking inhibition ELISA was used for all MACELISA-positive sera. By MACELISA, 31.4% of sera tested were positive and all of them were confirmed specifically as PRCV-positive by blocking inhibition ELISA, thus ruling out the presence of TGEV in the sampled area: 64% of the farms had at least one PRCV-seropositive sow, indicating that the infection was widespread Farms were classified into three categories, according to size and management practices. No significant differences were found in the prevalence rates among the three farm types; there was, however, a highly significant correlation between increasing farm size and increasing within-farm seropositivity.