title: Vector-free transmission and persistence of Japanese encephalitis virus in pigs.
abstract: Japanese encephalitis virus (JEV), a main cause of severe viral encephalitis in humans, has a complex ecology, composed of a cycle involving primarily waterbirds and mosquitoes, as well as a cycle involving pigs as amplifying hosts. To date, JEV transmission has been exclusively described as being mosquito-mediated. Here we demonstrate that JEV can be transmitted between pigs in the absence of arthropod vectors. Pigs shed virus in oronasal secretions and are highly susceptible to oronasal infection. Clinical symptoms, virus tropism and central nervous system histological lesions are similar in pigs infected through needle, contact or oronasal inoculation. In all cases, a particularly important site of replication are the tonsils, in which JEV is found to persist for at least 25 days despite the presence of high levels of neutralizing antibodies. Our findings could have a major impact on the ecology of JEV in temperate regions with short mosquito seasons.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Virology and Immunology, Sensemattstrasse 293, Mittelhäusern, Bern 3147, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Meret E
authors.initials: ME
authors.lastname: Ricklin
authors.affiliation: Institute of Virology and Immunology, Sensemattstrasse 293, Mittelhäusern, Bern 3147, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Obdulio
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: García-Nicolás
authors.affiliation: Institute of Virology and Immunology, Sensemattstrasse 293, Mittelhäusern, Bern 3147, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Daniel
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Brechbühl
authors.affiliation: Institute of Virology and Immunology, Sensemattstrasse 293, Mittelhäusern, Bern 3147, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Sylvie
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Python
authors.affiliation: Institute of Virology and Immunology, Sensemattstrasse 293, Mittelhäusern, Bern 3147, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Beatrice
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Zumkehr
authors.affiliation: Aix Marseille Université, U190-IRD French Institute of Research for Development, U1207-INSERM Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale, EHESP French School of Public Health, EPV UMR_D 190 "Emergence des Pathologies Virales", &IHU Méditerranée Infection, APHM Public Hospitals of Marseille, 27 Boulevard Jean-Moulin, Marseille 13385, France.
authors.forename: Antoine
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Nougairede
authors.affiliation: Aix Marseille Université, U190-IRD French Institute of Research for Development, U1207-INSERM Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale, EHESP French School of Public Health, EPV UMR_D 190 "Emergence des Pathologies Virales", &IHU Méditerranée Infection, APHM Public Hospitals of Marseille, 27 Boulevard Jean-Moulin, Marseille 13385, France.
authors.forename: Remi N
authors.initials: RN
authors.lastname: Charrel
authors.affiliation: Institute for Animal Pathology, Vetsuisse faculty, University of Bern, Länggassstrasse 122, Bern 3001, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Horst
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Posthaus
authors.affiliation: Division of Experimental Clinical Research, Vetsuisse Faculty, University of Bern, Bremgartenstrasse 109a, Bern 3001, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Anna
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Oevermann
authors.affiliation: Institute of Virology and Immunology, Sensemattstrasse 293, Mittelhäusern, Bern 3147, Switzerland.|Department of Infectious Diseases and Immunopathology, Vetsuisse Faculty, University of Bern, Länggassstrasse 122, Bern 3001, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Artur
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Summerfield
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001921:Brain / Q000473:pathology; D004664:Encephalitis Virus, Japanese; D004672:Encephalitis, Japanese / Q000473:pathology / Q000635:transmission*; D005260:Female; D008297:Male; D014066:Palatine Tonsil / Q000821:virology; D013552:Swine; D017201:Virus Shedding