title: Congenital infection with atypical porcine pestivirus (APPV) is associated with disease and viral persistence.
abstract: In 2013, several Austrian piglet-producing farms recorded outbreaks of action-related repetitive myoclonia in newborn piglets ("shaking piglets"). Malnutrition was seen in numerous piglets as a complication of this tremor syndrome. Overall piglet mortality was increased and the number of weaned piglets per sow decreased by more than 10% due to this outbreak. Histological examination of the CNS of affected piglets revealed moderate hypomyelination of the white substance in cerebellum and spinal cord. We detected a recently discovered pestivirus, termed atypical porcine pestivirus (APPV) in all these cases by RT-PCR. A genomic sequence and seven partial sequences were determined and revealed a 90% identity to the US APPV sequences and 92% identity to German sequences. In confirmation with previous reports, APPV genomes were identified in different body fluids and tissues including the CNS of diseased piglets. APPV could be isolated from a "shaking piglet", which was incapable of consuming colostrum, and passaged on different porcine cells at very low titers. To assess the antibody response a blocking ELISA was developed targeting NS3. APPV specific antibodies were identified in sows and in PCR positive piglets affected by congenital tremor (CT). APPV genomes were detected continuously in piglets that gradually recovered from CT, while the antibody titers decreased over a 12-week interval, pointing towards maternally transmitted antibodies. High viral loads were detectable by qRT-PCR in saliva and semen of infected young adults indicating a persistent infection.
authors.affiliation: Department for Farm Animals and Veterinary Public Health, University Clinic for Swine, University of Veterinary Medicine Vienna, Veterinaerplatz 1, 1210, Vienna, Austria.
authors.forename: Lukas
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Schwarz
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathobiology, Institute of Virology, University of Veterinary Medicine Vienna, Veterinaerplatz 1, 1210, Vienna, Austria.
authors.forename: Christiane
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Riedel
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathobiology, Institute of Pathology and Forensic Veterinary Medicine, University of Veterinary Medicine Vienna, Veterinaerplatz 1, 1210, Vienna, Austria.
authors.forename: Sandra
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Högler
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathobiology, Institute of Virology, University of Veterinary Medicine Vienna, Veterinaerplatz 1, 1210, Vienna, Austria.
authors.forename: Leonie J
authors.initials: LJ
authors.lastname: Sinn
authors.affiliation: Traunkreis Vet Clinic, Großendorf 3, 4551, Ried im Traunkreis, Austria.
authors.forename: Thomas
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Voglmayr
authors.affiliation: Department for Farm Animals and Veterinary Public Health, University Clinic for Swine, University of Veterinary Medicine Vienna, Veterinaerplatz 1, 1210, Vienna, Austria.
authors.forename: Bettina
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Wöchtl
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathobiology, Institute of Pathology and Forensic Veterinary Medicine, University of Veterinary Medicine Vienna, Veterinaerplatz 1, 1210, Vienna, Austria.
authors.forename: Nora
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Dinhopl
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathobiology, Institute of Pathology and Forensic Veterinary Medicine, University of Veterinary Medicine Vienna, Veterinaerplatz 1, 1210, Vienna, Austria.
authors.forename: Barbara
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Rebel-Bauder
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathobiology, Institute of Pathology and Forensic Veterinary Medicine, University of Veterinary Medicine Vienna, Veterinaerplatz 1, 1210, Vienna, Austria.
authors.forename: Herbert
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Weissenböck
authors.affiliation: Department for Farm Animals and Veterinary Public Health, University Clinic for Swine, University of Veterinary Medicine Vienna, Veterinaerplatz 1, 1210, Vienna, Austria.
authors.forename: Andrea
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Ladinig
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathobiology, Institute of Virology, University of Veterinary Medicine Vienna, Veterinaerplatz 1, 1210, Vienna, Austria.
authors.forename: Till
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Rümenapf
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathobiology, Institute of Virology, University of Veterinary Medicine Vienna, Veterinaerplatz 1, 1210, Vienna, Austria. benjamin.lamp@vetmeduni.ac.at.
authors.forename: Benjamin
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Lamp
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000831:Animals, Newborn / Q000821:virology; D000914:Antibodies, Viral / Q000276:immunology; D001317:Austria / Q000453:epidemiology; D004196:Disease Outbreaks / Q000662:veterinary; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay / Q000662:veterinary; D005260:Female; D008297:Male; D010576:Pestivirus / Q000235:genetics; D018182:Pestivirus Infections / Q000151:congenital / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000473:pathology / Q000662:veterinary*; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction / Q000662:veterinary; D017422:Sequence Analysis, DNA / Q000662:veterinary; D013552:Swine; D013553:Swine Diseases / Q000151:congenital / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000473:pathology / Q000821:virology*; D019562:Viral Load / Q000662:veterinary
chemical_list: D000914:Antibodies, Viral