title: Age- and strain-dependent differences in the outcome of experimental infections of domestic pigs with wild boar pseudorabies virus isolates.
abstract: Although pseudorabies virus (PRV) has been eradicated in domestic swine in many countries, its presence in wild boars remains a threat for a reintroduction into the currently unprotected swine population. To assess the possible impact of such a reintroduction in a naive herd, an in vivo infection study using two genetically characterized wild boar PRV isolates (BEL24043 and BEL20075) representative for wild boar strains circulating in south-western and central Europe and the virulent NIA3 reference strain was performed in 2- and 15-week-old domestic pigs. Our study revealed an attenuated nature of both wild boar strains in 15-week-old pigs. In contrast, it showed the capacity of strain BEL24043 to induce severe clinical symptoms and mortality in young piglets, thereby confirming that the known age dependency of disease outcome after PRV infection also holds for wild boar isolates. Despite the absence of clinical disease in 15-week-old sows, both wild boar PRV strains were able to induce seroconversion, but to a different extent. Importantly, differences in infection and transmission capacity of both strains were observed in 15-week-old sows. Strain BEL24043 induced a more prolonged and disseminated infection than strain BEL20075 and was able to spread efficiently to contact animals, indicative of its capacity to induce a sustained infection. In conclusion, it was shown that a reintroduction of a wild boar isolate into the domestic swine population could have serious economic consequences due to the induction of clinical symptoms in piglets and by jeopardizing the PRV-negative status.
authors.affiliation: Operational Direction Viral Diseases, CODA-CERVA, Groeselenberg 99, 1180 Ukkel, Belgium.
authors.forename: Sara
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Verpoest
authors.affiliation: Operational Direction Viral Diseases, CODA-CERVA, Groeselenberg 99, 1180 Ukkel, Belgium.
authors.forename: Ann Brigitte
authors.initials: AB
authors.lastname: Cay
authors.affiliation: Experimental Center, CODA-CERVA, Kerklaan 68, 1830 Machelen, Belgium.
authors.forename: Willem
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Van Campe
authors.affiliation: Experimental Center, CODA-CERVA, Kerklaan 68, 1830 Machelen, Belgium.
authors.forename: Laurent
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Mostin
authors.affiliation: Operational Direction Interactions and Surveillance, CODA-CERVA, Groeselenberg 99, 1180 Ukkel, Belgium.
authors.forename: Sarah
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Welby
authors.affiliation: Department of Virology, Immunology and Parasitology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Ghent University, Salisburylaan 133, 9820 Merelbeke, Belgium.
authors.forename: Herman
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Favoreel
authors.affiliation: Operational Direction Viral Diseases, CODA-CERVA, Groeselenberg 99, 1180 Ukkel, Belgium.|Department of Virology, Immunology and Parasitology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Ghent University, Salisburylaan 133, 9820 Merelbeke, Belgium.
authors.forename: Nick
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: De Regge
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D018562:Disease Transmission, Infectious; D005060:Europe; D011558:Herpesvirus 1, Suid / Q000254:growth & development* / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000472:pathogenicity; D011557:Pseudorabies / Q000473:pathology* / Q000635:transmission / Q000821:virology*; D034421:Sus scrofa / Q000821:virology*; D013552:Swine; D013553:Swine Diseases / Q000473:pathology* / Q000635:transmission / Q000821:virology*; D016896:Treatment Outcome