Oral Fluids

Oral fluids are predominantly composed of salivary gland secretions (saliva) mixed with variable amounts of serum and inflammatory cells, bacteria, fungi, viruses, bronchial and nasal secretions, gingival epithelial cells, and food debris (2,3). Oral fluids collected from pigs have been used to detect Porcine Reproductive and Respiratory Syndrome Virus (PRRSV), Porcine Circovirus-2 (PCV-2), Influenza A virus, and Mycoplasma hyopneumoniae (1,4,5). They have also been used for the detection of PRRSV antibodies using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (4).

Diagnostic tests available for testing oral fluids:

Viral PCR:

• Hemagglutinating Encephalomyelitis Virus
• Influenza A Virus
• Porcine Circovirus Type 2
• Porcine Reproductive and Respiratory Virus (NAEU differential and quantitative)
• Also available are sequencing for Influenza A Virus, Porcine Circovirus Type 2 and Porcine Reproductive and Respiratory Virus, as well as Influenza A Virus subtyping.

Bacterial PCR:

• Actinobacillus pleuropneumoniae
• Actinobacillus suis
• Haemophilus parasuis
• Mycoplasma hyopneumoniae
• Mycoplasma hyorhinis
• Mycoplasma hyosynoviae
• Streptococcus suis

Virus Isolation:

• Influenza A Virus
• Porcine Reproductive and Respiratory Virus

Pictures of oral fluid sampling were provided by Drs. Cesar Corzo, Susan Detmer and Anna Romagosa.