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. 1982 Jul;16(1):186–190. doi: 10.1128/jcm.16.1.186-190.1982

Shedding of rotavirus in feces of sows before and after farrowing.

D A Benfield, I Stotz, R Moore, J P McAdaragh
PMCID: PMC272317  PMID: 6286718

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to determine whether sows shed rotavirus near the time of farrowing. Twelve sows purchased from a common source and seropositive for rotavirus were housed in isolation in farrowing crates from 5 days before to 3 weeks after farrowing. Fecal samples were collected at 3- to 4-day intervals and examined for the presence of rotavirus by direct electron microscopy. Samples were also treated with pancreatin and inoculated onto monkey kidney cells. Rotaviral antigens were detected by a direct immunofluorescence technique, and selected positive cultures were examined by immunoelectron microscopy. Rotavirus was detected in the feces of 5 of 12 sows as early as 5 days before to 2 weeks after farrowing. Diarrhea related to rotavirus developed in 4 of 12 litters. Two of these four litters were farrowed by sows which shed rotavirus at 7 and 10 and 14 days after farrowing. The results of this study indicate that sows immune to rotavirus can shed virus in their feces at a time when piglets are particularly susceptible to infection and that adult swine are of primary importance in the epidemiology of rotavirus as initiators of infection.

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Selected References

These references are in PubMed. This may not be the complete list of references from this article.

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