In 2015, a new pestivirus was identified in pig sera in the US by means of NGS. This new „atypical porcine pestivirus” (APPV) was later isolated from piglets with congenital tremor (CT). In the meantime, this virus was reported from Germany, Austria, the Netherlands, Spain, China and Switzerland. The prevalence appears to be rather high, but the use of various diagnostics tests prevents direct comparisons. In affected herds, however, infections rates of up to 100% of all piglets in a litter were described.
Concerning pestiviruses, Switzerland is free of CSFV, and since 2008, a BVD eradication program was started in Bovidae. The APPV prevalence in Switzerland is not known, but in 2017, single cases of piglets with CT were diagnosed as being APPV positive. Thus, it is indispensable to include APPV in the corresponding diagnostics in Switzerland in order to gain new data on herd health in pigs, to include APPV in the differential diagnosis of CSFV and BVDV, and to investigate possible cross-reactivities with current diagnostic tests.