title: Characterization of Viral Load, Viability and Persistence of Influenza A Virus in Air and on Surfaces of Swine Production Facilities.
abstract: Indirect transmission of influenza A virus (IAV) in swine is poorly understood and information is lacking on levels of environmental exposure encountered by swine and people during outbreaks of IAV in swine barns. We characterized viral load, viability and persistence of IAV in air and on surfaces during outbreaks in swine barns. IAV was detected in pigs, air and surfaces from five confirmed outbreaks with 48% (47/98) of oral fluid, 38% (32/84) of pen railing and 43% (35/82) of indoor air samples testing positive by IAV RT-PCR. IAV was isolated from air and oral fluids yielding a mixture of subtypes (H1N1, H1N2 and H3N2). Detection of IAV RNA from air was sustained during the outbreaks with maximum levels estimated between 7 and 11 days from reported onset. Our results indicate that during outbreaks of IAV in swine, aerosols and surfaces in barns contain significant levels of IAV potentially representing an exposure hazard to both swine and people.
authors.affiliation: University of Minnesota, Saint Paul, Minnesota, United States of America.|University of Chile, Santiago, Chile.
authors.forename: Victor
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Neira
authors.affiliation: University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, United States of America.
authors.forename: Peter
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Rabinowitz
authors.affiliation: University of Minnesota, Saint Paul, Minnesota, United States of America.
authors.forename: Aaron
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Rendahl
authors.affiliation: Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut, United States of America.
authors.forename: Blanca
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Paccha
authors.affiliation: Indiana University, Bloomington, Indiana, United States of America.
authors.forename: Shawn G
authors.initials: SG
authors.lastname: Gibbs
authors.affiliation: University of Minnesota, Saint Paul, Minnesota, United States of America.
authors.forename: Montserrat
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Torremorell
mesh_terms: D000391:Air Microbiology; D000822:Animal Husbandry; D000818:Animals; D001826:Body Fluids / Q000821:virology; D003371:Cough / Q000821:virology; D009980:Influenza A virus / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000502:physiology*; D009976:Orthomyxoviridae Infections / Q000821:virology; D012367:RNA, Viral / Q000032:analysis; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction; D012912:Sneezing; D034421:Sus scrofa; D019562:Viral Load
chemical_list: D012367:RNA, Viral