title: Diagnosis of Porcine teschovirus encephalomyelitis in the Republic of Haiti.
abstract: In February and March 2009, approximately 1,500 backyard pigs of variable age became sick, and approximately 700 of them died or were euthanized in the Lower Artibonite Valley and the Lower Plateau of the Republic of Haiti. The main clinical sign was posterior ataxia followed by paresis and/or paralysis on the second or third day of illness. No gross lesions were observed at postmortem examinations. The morbidity and mortality were approximately 60% and 40%, respectively. Diagnostic samples (whole blood, brain, tonsil, lymph nodes, spleen, and lung) were negative for Classical swine fever virus and African swine fever virus. Porcine teschovirus type 1 was detected by reverse transcription polymerase chain reactions in brain samples. Results of virus isolation, electron microscopy of virus particles, histopathological analysis on brain tissues, nucleic acid sequencing, and phylogenetic analysis of the viral isolate supported the diagnosis of teschovirus encephalomyelitis. The outbreak of the disease in Haiti is the first appearance of the severe form of teschovirus encephalomyelitis in the Americas. This disease poses a potential threat to the swine industries in other Caribbean countries, as well as to Central and North American countries.
authors.affiliation: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, Veterinary Services, National Veterinary Services Laboratories, Foreign Animal Disease Diagnostic Laboratory, Greenport, NY 11944, USA. ming.y.deng@aphis.usda.gov
authors.forename: Ming Y
authors.initials: MY
authors.lastname: Deng
authors.forename: Max
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Millien
authors.forename: Rodney
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Jacques-Simon
authors.forename: J Keith
authors.initials: JK
authors.lastname: Flanagan
authors.forename: Alexa J
authors.initials: AJ
authors.lastname: Bracht
authors.forename: Consuelo
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Carrillo
authors.forename: Roger W
authors.initials: RW
authors.lastname: Barrette
authors.forename: Andrew
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Fabian
authors.forename: Fawzi
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Mohamed
authors.forename: Karen
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Moran
authors.forename: Jessica
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Rowland
authors.forename: Sabrina L
authors.initials: SL
authors.lastname: Swenson
authors.forename: Melinda
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Jenkins-Moore
authors.forename: Leo
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Koster
authors.forename: Bruce V
authors.initials: BV
authors.lastname: Thomsen
authors.forename: Gregory
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Mayr
authors.forename: Dave
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Pyburn
authors.forename: Paula
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Morales
authors.forename: John
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Shaw
authors.forename: Thomas
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Burrage
authors.forename: William
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: White
authors.forename: Michael T
authors.initials: MT
authors.lastname: McIntosh
authors.forename: Samia
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Metwally
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000914:Antibodies, Viral / Q000032:analysis; D004196:Disease Outbreaks / Q000662:veterinary; D004679:Encephalomyelitis / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000662:veterinary* / Q000821:virology; D006205:Haiti / Q000453:epidemiology; D006651:Histocytochemistry / Q000662:veterinary; D008854:Microscopy, Electron / Q000662:veterinary; D010802:Phylogeny; D010850:Picornaviridae Infections / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000662:veterinary* / Q000821:virology; D012367:RNA, Viral / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction / Q000662:veterinary; D017422:Sequence Analysis, DNA; D013552:Swine; D013553:Swine Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000821:virology*; D052700:Teschovirus / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification* / Q000648:ultrastructure
chemical_list: D000914:Antibodies, Viral; D012367:RNA, Viral