TY - JOUR
T1 - Replication, pathogenicity, shedding, and transmission of Zaire ebolavirus in pigs
AU - Kobinger, Gary P.
AU - Leung, Anders
AU - Neufeld, James
AU - Richardson, Jason S.
AU - Falzarano, Darryl
AU - Smith, Greg
AU - Tierney, Kevin
AU - Patel, Ami
AU - Weingartl, Hana M.
N1 - Funding Information:
This work was supported by the Public Health Agency of Canada and the Canadian Food Inspection Agency.
PY - 2011/7/15
Y1 - 2011/7/15
N2 - Background. Reston ebolavirus was recently detected in pigs in the Philippines. Specific antibodies were found in pig farmers, indicating exposure to the virus. This important observation raises the possibility that pigs may be susceptible to Ebola virus infection, including from other species, such as Zaire ebolavirus (ZEBOV), and can transmit to other susceptible hosts. Methods. This study investigated whether ZEBOV, a species commonly reemerging in central Africa, can replicate and induce disease in pigs and can be transmitted to naive animals. Domesticated Landrace pigs were challenged through mucosal exposure with a total of 1 × 106 plaque-forming units of ZEBOV and monitored for virus replication, shedding, and pathogenesis. Using similar conditions, virus transmission from infected to naive animals was evaluated in a second set of pigs. Results. Following mucosal exposure, pigs replicated ZEBOV to high titers (reaching 107 median tissue culture infective doses/mL), mainly in the respiratory tract, and developed severe lung pathology. Shedding from the oronasal mucosa was detected for up to 14 days after infection, and transmission was confirmed in all naive pigs cohabiting with inoculated animals. Conclusions. These results shed light on the susceptibility of pigs to ZEBOV infection and identify an unexpected site of virus amplification and shedding linked to transmission of infectious virus.
AB - Background. Reston ebolavirus was recently detected in pigs in the Philippines. Specific antibodies were found in pig farmers, indicating exposure to the virus. This important observation raises the possibility that pigs may be susceptible to Ebola virus infection, including from other species, such as Zaire ebolavirus (ZEBOV), and can transmit to other susceptible hosts. Methods. This study investigated whether ZEBOV, a species commonly reemerging in central Africa, can replicate and induce disease in pigs and can be transmitted to naive animals. Domesticated Landrace pigs were challenged through mucosal exposure with a total of 1 × 106 plaque-forming units of ZEBOV and monitored for virus replication, shedding, and pathogenesis. Using similar conditions, virus transmission from infected to naive animals was evaluated in a second set of pigs. Results. Following mucosal exposure, pigs replicated ZEBOV to high titers (reaching 107 median tissue culture infective doses/mL), mainly in the respiratory tract, and developed severe lung pathology. Shedding from the oronasal mucosa was detected for up to 14 days after infection, and transmission was confirmed in all naive pigs cohabiting with inoculated animals. Conclusions. These results shed light on the susceptibility of pigs to ZEBOV infection and identify an unexpected site of virus amplification and shedding linked to transmission of infectious virus.
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U2 - 10.1093/infdis/jir077
DO - 10.1093/infdis/jir077
M3 - Article
C2 - 21571728
AN - SCOPUS:79958740733
SN - 0022-1899
VL - 204
SP - 200
EP - 208
JO - Journal of Infectious Diseases
JF - Journal of Infectious Diseases
IS - 2
ER -