title: Experimental airborne transmission of PRRS virus.
abstract: A series of three experiments, differing primarily in airflow volume, were performed to evaluate the likelihood of airborne transmission of Porcine Reproductive and Respiratory Syndrome Virus (PRRSV) from infected to non-infected pigs. Pigs were housed in two units (unit A and unit B) located 1m apart and connected by pipes. The air pressure and diameter of the pipes, depending on experiments, were strictly controlled to allow desired airflow volumes from unit A to unit B. Either 25 (experiment 1 and experiment 3) or 26 (experiment 2) pigs infected recently with PRRSV, and either 25 (experiment 1 and experiment 3) or 17 (experiment 2) pigs from a PRRSV-free herd, were housed in unit A. Either 50 pigs (experiment 1 and experiment 3) or 43 pigs (experiment 2) from a PRRSV-free herd were housed in unit B. The amount of air transmitted from unit A to unit B, expressed as a percentage of ventilation intake, was approximately 70, 10, and 1% for experiment 1, experiment 2 and experiment 3, respectively. Blood samples were collected from all pigs once per week and analyzed for antibodies against PRRSV. Based on these methods, airborne transmission of PRRSV from infected to non-infected pigs was confirmed in each of the three experiments.
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical Studies, The Royal Veterinary and Agricultural University, Dyrlaegevej 88, DK-1870 Frederiksberg C, Denmark. csk@danishmeat.dk
authors.forename: C S
authors.initials: CS
authors.lastname: Kristensen
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Bøtner
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Takai
authors.forename: J P
authors.initials: JP
authors.lastname: Nielsen
authors.forename: S E
authors.initials: SE
authors.lastname: Jorsal
mesh_terms: D000391:Air Microbiology; D000392:Air Movements; D000818:Animals; D000914:Antibodies, Viral / Q000097:blood; D018562:Disease Transmission, Infectious / Q000662:veterinary*; D019318:Porcine Reproductive and Respiratory Syndrome / Q000635:transmission* / Q000821:virology; D019316:Porcine respiratory and reproductive syndrome virus / Q000254:growth & development*; D013047:Specific Pathogen-Free Organisms; D013552:Swine
chemical_list: D000914:Antibodies, Viral