Respiratory disease is one of the most important cause of economical loss in swine production. It is well known that many pathogens are able to cause infections at the lower respiratory tract, and it is true that a cooperation among some of these pathogens may significantly increase damage and mortality. On the other hand, some of these potential pathogens are normally present in clinically healthy (carrier) animals. Therefore, the definition of “coinfection”, “super-infection” or “mixed infections” is not always clear. Indeed, there is a difference between two pathogens working together through known and proved mechanisms to increase damage to the host and just the simultaneous presence of two pathogens by chance, but probably without any cause-effect.
The objective of this series is to critically discuss what is really known about coinfections but with an interpretative analysis of available data and their biological significance. This series also includes reviews focused on key respiratory diseases associated with multifactorial respiratory disease of swine; for instance, discussions of viruses considered part of the Porcine Respiratory Disease Complex, such as swine Influenza A Virus (swIAV), Porcine Reproductive and Respiratory Syndrome Virus (PRRSV), and Porcine CircoVirus type 2 (PCV2) as well as bacteria like Actinobacillus pleuropneumoniae, Mycoplasma hyopneumoniae and Bordetella bronchiseptica.
Edited by Prof Marcelo Gottschalk
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