title: Oral treatment of transmissible gastroenteritis with natural human interferon alpha: a field study.
abstract: During a natural outbreak of transmissible gastroenteritis (TGE), groups of piglets were treated orally for 4 consecutive days with placebo or 1.0, 10.0 or 20.0 international units (IU) natural human interferon alpha (nHuIFN alpha). Piglets that were 1-12 days of age and given 1.0, 10.0 or 20.0 IU nHuIFN alpha had significantly (P < 0.01) greater survival rates than placebo-treated piglets; survival rates were the greater for the highest level of nHuIFN alpha treatment. In contrast, beneficial effects of nHuIFN alpha were not observed in piglets farrowed during the disease outbreak and given nHuIFN alpha within hours of birth. Oral nHuIFN alpha therapy modulates the natural course of high morbidity and mortality commonly seen with TGE.
authors.affiliation: Amarillo Cell Culture Company Inc., TX 79101-3206, USA.
authors.forename: J M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Cummins
authors.forename: R E
authors.initials: RE
authors.lastname: Mock
authors.forename: B W
authors.initials: BW
authors.lastname: Shive
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Krakowka
authors.forename: A B
authors.initials: AB
authors.lastname: Richards
authors.forename: D P
authors.initials: DP
authors.lastname: Hutcheson
mesh_terms: D000284:Administration, Oral; D000818:Animals; D000831:Animals, Newborn; D004196:Disease Outbreaks / Q000662:veterinary*; D005260:Female; D005761:Gastroenteritis, Transmissible, of Swine / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000628:therapy*; D016898:Interferon-alpha / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D008297:Male; D011379:Prognosis; D015996:Survival Rate; D013552:Swine; D013781:Texas / Q000453:epidemiology
chemical_list: D016898:Interferon-alpha