THE CLINICAL RESPONSE OF GNOTOBIOTIC CALVES, PIGS AND LAMBS TO INOCULATION WITH HUMAN, CALF, PIG AND FOAL ROTAVIRUS ISOLATES

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Abstract
The infectivity, pathogenicity and immunogenicity of 5 human, 6 calf, 2 pig and 2 foal rotavirus isolates were studied in gnotobiotic calves, piglets and lambs. Three of the human isolates produced subclinical infection in newborn gnotobiotic piglets and the piglets developed neutralising antirotavirus antibody. When challenged with pig rotavirus 2 weeks later, the piglets did not develop diarrhoea, but rotavirus was detected in the faeces. In contrast, piglets inoculated with the other 2 human isolates failed to show evidence of infection and there was no specific antibody detected. These piglets developed diarrhoea when challenged 2 weeks later with pig rotavirus. The 4 human isolates failed to infect gnotobiotic calves and lambs. Two foal rotavirus isolates produced subclinical infection in piglets, but the subsequent protection against a challenge with pig rotavirus lasted less than 15 days. The foal rotavirus isolates failed to infect gnotobiotic calves and lambs. Two of the calf rotavirus isolates were extremely pathogenic to newborn pigs. Two other calf isolates infected newborn lambs, one of which developed mild diarrhoea. Of the 2 pig rotavirus isolates one induced a subclinical infection in newborn lambs but neither infected calves. These experiments suggest that cross-infection between species is not a property shared by all rotaviruses.