PRRSV and HEV in UK Pigs at the Time of Slaughter

Viruses. 2017 Jun 9;9(6). pii: E110. doi: 10.3390/v9060110.

UK Pigs at the Time of Slaughter: Investigation into the Correlation of Infection with PRRSV and HEV.

Frossard JP1, Grierson S2, Cheney T3, Steinbach F4, Choudhury B5, Williamson S6.

Author information

1

Animal and Plant Health Agency, Woodham Lane, New Haw, Surrey KT15 3NB, UK. jean-pierre.frossard@apha.gsi.gov.uk.

2

Animal and Plant Health Agency, Woodham Lane, New Haw, Surrey KT15 3NB, UK. Sylvia.Grierson@apha.gsi.gov.uk.

3

Animal and Plant Health Agency, Woodham Lane, New Haw, Surrey KT15 3NB, UK. tcheney87@hotmail.com.

4

Animal and Plant Health Agency, Woodham Lane, New Haw, Surrey KT15 3NB, UK. Falko.Steinbach@apha.gsi.gov.uk.

5

Animal and Plant Health Agency, Woodham Lane, New Haw, Surrey KT15 3NB, UK. Bhudipa.Choudhury@apha.gsi.gov.uk.

6

Surveillance Intelligence Unit, Animal and Plant Health Agency, Rougham Hill, Bury St Edmunds, Suffolk IP33 2RX, UK. Susanna.Williamson@apha.gsi.gov.uk.

Abstract

Hepatitis E virus (HEV) and porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome virus (PRRSV) and are both globally prevalent in the pig population. While HEV does not cause clinical disease in pigs, its zoonotic potential has raised concerns in the food safety sector. PRRS has become endemic in the United Kingdom (UK) since its introduction in 1991, and continues to cause considerable economic losses to the swine industry. A better understanding of the current prevalence and diversity of PRRSV and HEV in the UK, and their potential association, is needed to assess risks and target control measures appropriately. This study used plasma, tonsil, and cecal content samples previously collected from pigs in 14 abattoirs in England and Northern Ireland to study the prevalence of several pathogens including PRRSV and HEV. The diversity of PRRSV strains detected in these samples was analyzed by sequencing open reading frame 5 (ORF5), revealing no substantial difference in PRRSV strains from these clinically unaffected pigs relative to those from clinical cases of disease in the UK. Despite the potential immuno-modulatory effect of PRRSV infection, previously demonstrated to affect Salmonellaand HEV shedding profiles, no significant association was found between positive PRRSV status and positive HEV status.

KEYWORDS: 

HEV; PRRSV; co-infections; evolution and molecular epidemiology; porcine viruses

PMID:

 

28598352

 

DOI:

 

10.3390/v9060110

Free full text