Oral transmission of transmissible gastroenteritis virus by muscle and lymph node from slaughtered pigs.
A study was conducted in the USA to determine whether transmissible gastroenteritis (TGE) virus could be transmitted from carcases of slaughtered pigs. Transmissible gastroenteritis virus was transmitted to 6-day-old piglets by dosing with homogenates of muscle and lymph node collected from 500 clinically normal pigs at the time of slaughter. All piglets in 2 separately housed litters showed clinical signs of TGE with 5 piglets dying within 10 d of oral dosing with homogenates. Transmissible gastroenteritis virus was isolated from 2 of these piglets and all piglets developed TGE antibody. Transmissible gastroenteritis virus was not isolated in tissue culture from muscle and lymph node homogenates, but was isolated from 4 (0.8%) of 500 tonsil samples collected from the same pigs. A survey of 250 serum samples provided an estimate of the prevalence of slaughtered pigs with TGE antibody of 34.8% in the sample population. The results indicate that carcases of some pigs from TGE endemic areas contain viable TGE virus, and that there would be a substantial risk of introducing TGE virus into Australia by the importation of uncooked pig meat from these areas.
Cook
D R
DR
Queensland Department of Primary Industries, Toowoomba Veterinary Laboratory.
Hill
H T
HT
Taylor
J D
JD
D000284:Administration, Oral; D000818:Animals; D000914:Antibodies, Viral / Q000097:blood; D005761:Gastroenteritis, Transmissible, of Swine / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000382:microbiology / Q000635:transmission*; D008198:Lymph Nodes / Q000382:microbiology*; D009132:Muscles / Q000382:microbiology*; D009500:Neutralization Tests; D013552:Swine; D005760:Transmissible gastroenteritis virus / Q000276:immunology / Q000502:physiology*
D000914:Antibodies, Viral