Effect of strain and serotype of vesicular stomatitis virus on viral shedding, vesicular lesion development, and contact transmission in pigs.
OBJECTIVE
To determine whether pigs can be infected with strains of vesicular stomatitis virus New Jersey (VSV-NJ) and vesicular stomatitis virus Indiana (VSV-I) isolated during recent vesicular stomatitis outbreaks that primarily involved horses in the western United States and determine the potential for these viruses to be transmitted by contact.


METHODS
128 pigs.


METHODS
Pigs were challenged with VSV-NJ or VSV-I from the 1995 and 1997 outbreaks of vesicular stomatitis in the western United States, respectively, or with VSV-NJ (OS) associated with vesicular stomatitis in feral pigs on Ossabaw Island, Ga. Pigs (3/group) were inoculated with each virus via 3 routes and evaluated for viral shedding, seroconversion, and the development of vesicular lesions. In another experiment, the potential for contact transmission of each virus from experimentally infected to naïve pigs was evaluated.


RESULTS
Infection of pigs was achieved for all 3 viruses as determined by virus isolation and detection of seroconversion. In inoculated pigs, all 3 viruses were isolated from multiple swab samples at concentrations sufficient to infect other pigs. However, compared with results obtained with the 2 VSV-NJ strains, viral titers associated with VSV-I were low and the duration of virus shedding was reduced. Results from the contact transmission trials were consistent with these results; virus transmission was detected most frequently with the VSV-NJ strains.


CONCLUSIONS
Pigs can be infected with VSV-NJ and VSV-I. Differences in the extent of viral shedding and potential for contact transmission were apparent between serotypes but not between the VSV-NJ strains investigated.
Stallknecht
David E
DE
Department of Medical Microbiology and Parasitology, College of Veterinary Medicine, The University of Georgia, Athens, GA 30602, USA.
Greer
Jonathan B
JB
Murphy
Molly D
MD
Mead
Daniel G
DG
Howerth
Elizabeth W
EW
D000818:Animals; D005845:Georgia; D018353:Rhabdoviridae Infections / Q000473:pathology / Q000635:transmission / Q000662:veterinary*; D012698:Serologic Tests / Q000662:veterinary; D013045:Species Specificity; D013280:Stomatitis / Q000662:veterinary*; D034421:Sus scrofa; D013553:Swine Diseases / Q000473:pathology / Q000635:transmission* / Q000821:virology*; D014721:Vesicular stomatitis Indiana virus; D018116:Vesiculovirus; D017201:Virus Shedding / Q000502:physiology