title: Shedding of rotavirus in feces of sows before and after farrowing.
abstract: The purpose of this study was to determine whether sows shed rotavirus near the time of farrowing. Twelve sows purchased from a common source and seropositive for rotavirus were housed in isolation in farrowing crates from 5 days before to 3 weeks after farrowing. Fecal samples were collected at 3- to 4-day intervals and examined for the presence of rotavirus by direct electron microscopy. Samples were also treated with pancreatin and inoculated onto monkey kidney cells. Rotaviral antigens were detected by a direct immunofluorescence technique, and selected positive cultures were examined by immunoelectron microscopy. Rotavirus was detected in the feces of 5 of 12 sows as early as 5 days before to 2 weeks after farrowing. Diarrhea related to rotavirus developed in 4 of 12 litters. Two of these four litters were farrowed by sows which shed rotavirus at 7 and 10 and 14 days after farrowing. The results of this study indicate that sows immune to rotavirus can shed virus in their feces at a time when piglets are particularly susceptible to infection and that adult swine are of primary importance in the epidemiology of rotavirus as initiators of infection.
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002460:Cell Line; D002522:Chlorocebus aethiops; D003967:Diarrhea / Q000382:microbiology / Q000662:veterinary*; D005243:Feces / Q000382:microbiology*; D005260:Female; D007668:Kidney; D011247:Pregnancy; D011270:Pregnancy, Animal; D012087:Reoviridae / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D012401:Rotavirus / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D013552:Swine; D013553:Swine Diseases / Q000382:microbiology*