Porcine circovirus type 2 (PCV2) plays a key role in PCV2-associated disease (PCVAD) etiology and has yielded significant losses in the pig husbandry in the last 20 years. However, the impact of two recently described species of porcine circoviruses, PCV3 and PCV4, on the pork industry remains unknown. The presence of PCV3 has been associated with several clinical presentations in pigs. Reproductive failure and multisystemic inflammation have been reported most consistently. The clinical symptoms, anatomopathological changes and interaction with other pathogens during PCV3 infection in pigs indicate that PCV3 might be pathogenic for these animals and can cause economic losses in the swine industry similar to PCV2, which makes PCV3 worth including in the differential list as a cause of clinical disorders in reproductive swine herds. Moreover, subsequent studies indicate interspecies transmission and worldwide spreading of PCV3. To date, research related to PCV3 and PCV4 vaccine design is at early stage, and numerous aspects regarding immune response and virus characteristics remain unknown.
Keywords: cross-species transmission; pathogenicity; porcine circovirus type 2; porcine circovirus type 3.