Lesions resulting from inoculation of porcine foetuses with porcine parvovirus.

In utero inoculation of 15 sows at various stages of gestation with a local strain of porcine parvovirus (PPV) resulted in resorption, abortion or the birth of weak, dead, or mummified foetuses. Histopathological lesions observed in foetuses of sows slaughtered at various post-inoculation intervals consisted of a perivascular inflammatory reaction primarily observed in the brain and kidneys. The presence and extent of the inflammatory reaction were dependent upon the age of the foetus at the time of infection. In the sow a perivascular inflammatory reaction was found in the endometrium, while the larger blood-vessel walls were infiltrated by lymphocytes, and it is suggested that these vascular lesions may contribute to the reproductive failures associated with PPV.