QUANTITATIVE TRANSMISSIBLE GASTROENTERITIS VIRUS SHEDDING PATTERNS IN LACTATING SOWS

  • 1 January 1977
    • journal article
    • research article
    • Vol. 38  (3) , 307-310
Abstract
To test the role of sows in spreading transmissible gastroenteritis (TGE), 11 sows were i.v., intranasally (i.n.) or intramammarily inocuated with virulent virus within 5 days of farrowing. Six of the sows were separated from their offspring and 5 were allowed to nurse their litters. All sows became clinically ill with sign of anorexia, depression and fever that persisted until postinoculation day 4 or 5. They shed virus through milk, nasal secretions and feces, with individual variations occurring in degree and duration of shedding in the 1st wk after inoculation. Of 40 pigs separately fed milk samples from the 6 inoculated sows, 19 pigs (47.5%) became sick in 24-40 h and virus was isolated from them at necropsy. Of 43 pigs in the 5 litters that nursed exposed dams, all became sick with typical signs of TGE and 29 (67.4%) died in 2-9 days. Sows given the single intramammary inoculation of virus developed statistically significant higher levels of TGE virus-neutralizing antibodies than did sows inoculated i.v. or i.n.