Natural infections of pigs with akabane virus.
Akabane (AKA) virus is considered a pathogen of herbivores in nature. However, we found that pig populations in fields were infected in Taiwan. An isolate (NT-14) of AKA virus was obtained from pigs. The NT-14 virus was able to infect pigs by the oronasal route. Subsequently, low levels of infectious virus particles were excreted into the oronasal discharge during the stage of viremia but they were not sufficient to infect new porcine hosts via contact transmission. The prevalence of serum neutralizing antibodies to AKA virus in pig populations was investigated, indicating that approximately 75% of pigs in Taiwan were seropositive. Sows and newborn piglets have the highest titers of neutralizing antibodies. Contrarily, fattening pigs aged at approximately 20 weeks old contained the lowest titers of specific antibodies. Our results suggest that pigs in natural situations are part of the AKA virus transmission cycle.
Department of Hog Cholera, National Institute for Animal Health, Council of Agriculture, 376 Chung-Cheng Road, Tamsui, 251, Taipei, Taiwan. cchuang@mail.nvri.gov.tw
Chin-Cheng
CC
Huang
Tien-Shine
TS
Huang
Ming-Chung
MC
Deng
Ming-Hwa
MH
Jong
Shih-Yuh
SY
Lin
D000818:Animals; D000914:Antibodies, Viral / Q000097:blood; D002044:Bunyaviridae Infections / Q000097:blood / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000662:veterinary* / Q000821:virology; D005243:Feces / Q000821:virology; D005260:Female; D009297:Nasal Mucosa / Q000821:virology; D016851:Orthobunyavirus / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D010802:Phylogeny; D015995:Prevalence; D012367:RNA, Viral / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction / Q000662:veterinary; D017422:Sequence Analysis, DNA; D013552:Swine; D013553:Swine Diseases / Q000821:virology*; D013624:Taiwan / Q000453:epidemiology
D000914:Antibodies, Viral; D012367:RNA, Viral