Evaluation of an air-filtration system for preventing aerosol transmission of Porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome virus.
The purpose of this study was to evaluate the ability of a commercial air-filtration system to reduce aerosol transmission of Porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome virus (PRRSV). The system consisted of a pre-filter and 2 filters with EU8 and EU13 ratings. In each of 4 trials, 5 PRRSV-infected donor pigs and 1 naive recipient pig (each 25 kg) were housed in opposing chambers connected by a 1.3-m-long duct. The system filtered air entering 1 recipient-pig chamber (filtered facility) from the donor-pig chamber but not a 2nd recipient-pig chamber (nonfiltered facility). The donor pigs had been experimentally infected with PRRSV MN-184, an isolate previously documented to be shed at a high frequency in contagious aerosols. On days 3 to 7 after infection of the donors, the 2 groups were housed in their respective chambers for 6 h and then in separate facilities, where samples were collected for testing by polymerase chain reaction and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay over 14 d. Aerosol transmission was observed in 6 of the 20 replicates in the nonfiltered facility, whereas all pigs remained PRRSV-negative in the filtered facility; the difference was significant at P < 0.01. Thus, under the conditions of this study, the air-filtration system evaluated appeared to be highly effective at reducing aerosol transmission of PRRSV.
Swine Disease Eradication Center, 385 C Animal Science/Veterinary Medicine Building, University of Minnesota College of Veterinary Medicine, 1988 Fitch Avenue, St. Paul, Minnesota 55108, USA. deexx004@umn.edu
Scott
S
Dee
Laura
L
Batista
John
J
Deen
Carlos
C
Pijoan
D000336:Aerosols; D000391:Air Microbiology; D000822:Animal Husbandry / Q000379:methods*; D000818:Animals; D004783:Environmental Microbiology; D005374:Filtration / Q000379:methods / Q000662:veterinary*; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D019318:Porcine Reproductive and Respiratory Syndrome / Q000517:prevention & control / Q000635:transmission*; D019316:Porcine respiratory and reproductive syndrome virus / Q000472:pathogenicity; D011897:Random Allocation; D013552:Swine
D000336:Aerosols