Porcine noroviruses related to human noroviruses.
Detection of genogroup II (GII) norovirus (NoV) RNA from adult pigs in Japan and Europe and GII NoV antibodies in US swine raises public health concerns about zoonotic transmission of porcine NoVs to humans, although no NoVs have been detected in US swine. To detect porcine NoVs and to investigate their genetic diversity and relatedness to human NoVs, 275 fecal samples from normal US adult swine were screened by reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction with calicivirus universal primers. Six samples were positive for NoV. Based on sequence analysis of 3 kb on the 3' end of 5 porcine NoVs, 3 genotypes in GII and a potential recombinant were identified. One genotype of porcine NoVs was genetically and antigenically related to human NoVs and replicated in gnotobiotic pigs. These results raise concerns of whether subclinically infected adult swine may be reservoirs of new human NoVs or if porcine/human GII recombinants could emerge.
Wang
Qiu-Hong
QH
Food Animal Health Research Program, The Ohio State University, Wooster, Ohio 44691, USA.
Han
Myung Guk
MG
Cheetham
Sonia
S
Souza
Menira
M
Funk
Julie A
JA
Saif
Linda J
LJ
D000818:Animals; D036022:Capsid Proteins / Q000235:genetics; D005243:Feces / Q000821:virology; D014644:Genetic Variation; D005838:Genotype; D006801:Humans; D029322:Norovirus / Q000145:classification* / Q000235:genetics* / Q000648:ultrastructure; D010802:Phylogeny; D011995:Recombination, Genetic / Q000235:genetics; D013552:Swine / Q000821:virology*
D036022:Capsid Proteins