Evaluation of Serum Acute-Phase Proteins as Disease Monitoring Tools in Pigs with Post-Weaning Multisystemic Wasting Syndrome at Farms in Anambra State, South East Nigeria

Post-weaning multisystemic wasting syndrome caused by porcine circovirus type 2 is associated with significant morbidity and immune dysfunction in Nigerian intensive piggeries, yet objective biochemical disease monitoring protocols remain undefined for local production settings. This study evaluated serum acute-phase proteins including C-reactive protein, haptoglobin, and pig major acute-phase protein as disease monitoring tools in pigs with post-weaning multisystemic wasting syndrome at commercial farms in Anambra State, South East Nigeria. Sixty post-weaned piglets were enrolled: thirty with clinical features consistent with wasting syndrome confirmed by PCR for porcine circovirus type 2 and thirty clinically normal age-matched controls. Acute-phase protein assays were performed by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay at the time of clinical diagnosis and at two and four weeks post-diagnosis. Serum haptoglobin and C-reactive protein were markedly elevated in affected pigs at diagnosis and showed a progressive declining trend in pigs that recovered, correlating with weight gain. Pigs that failed to recover showed persistently elevated acute-phase proteins at week four, providing a negative prognostic indicator. Pig major acute-phase protein demonstrated superior sensitivity over C-reactive protein at the early disease timepoint. These findings validate serum acute-phase protein monitoring as a useful professional management tool for disease severity assessment and recovery tracking in porcine circovirus type 2-affected piggeries in South East Nigeria. Keywords: post-weaning wasting syndrome, acute-phase proteins, porcine circovirus, haptoglobin, Anambra.