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Title

An Evaluation of Contaminated Complete Feed as a Vehicle for Porcine Epidemic Diarrhea Virus Infection of Naïve Pigs Following Consumption Via Natural Feeding Behavior: Proof of Concept

Authors

Scott Dee
Travis Clement, South Dakota State UniversityFollow
Adam Schelkopf
Joel Nerem
David Knudsen, South Dakota State UniversityFollow
Jane Christopher-Hennings, South Dakota State UniversityFollow
Eric A. Nelson, South Dakota State UniversityFollow

Document Type

Article

Publication Date

8-2014

Keywords

porcine, epidemic diarrhea, virus, PEDV, complete, feed, bioassay, transmission

Abstract

Background: Since its initial detection in May 2013, porcine epidemic diarrhea virus (PEDV) has spread rapidly throughout the US swine industry. Initially, contaminated feed was proposed as a risk factor for PEDV; however, data were not available to support this theory. Here we provide proof of concept of this risk by describing a novel means for recovering PEDV-contaminated complete feed material from commercial swine sites and conducting an in vivo experiment to prove its infectivity.

Results: For on-farm detection of PEDV RNA in feed, paint rollers were used to collect material from at-risk feed bins from 3 clinically affected breeding herds. This material was tested by PCR and determined to be positive for PEDV-RNA (Ct = 19.50-22.20 range). To test infectivity, this material was pooled (Ct = 20.65) and a Treatment group of 3-week old PEDV-naïve piglets were allowed to consume it via natural feeding behavior. For the purpose of a Positive control, piglets were allowed to ingest feed spiked with stock PEDV (Ct = 18.23) while the negative control group received PEDV-free feed. Clinical signs of PEDV infection (vomiting and diarrhea) and viral shedding were observed in both the Positive control and Treatment group’ post-consumption with virus and microscopic lesions detected in intestinal samples No evidence of infection was observed in the Negative controls.
Conclusions: These data provide proof of concept that contaminated complete feed can serve as a vehicle for PEDV infection of naïve pigs using natural feeding behavior.

Publication Title

BMC Veterinary Research

Volume

10

Issue

176

Pages

9

Type

text

Language

en

DOI of Published Version

10.1186/s12917-014-0176-9

Publisher

BioMed Central

Rights

Copyright © Dee et al.

Recommended Citation

Dee et al.: An evaluation of contaminated complete feed as a vehicle for porcine epidemic diarrhea virus infection of naïve pigs following consumption via natural feeding behavior: proof of concept. BMC Veterinary Research 2014 10:176.

Creative Commons License

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.