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Epidemiological Studies of Piglet Diarrhoea in Intensively Managed Danish Sow Herds

IV. Pathogenicity of porcine rotavirus

Acta Veterinaria Scandinavica volume 30, pages 71–76 (1989)Cite this article

Abstract

Colostrum-deprived piglets inoculated with rotavirus 24 h after birth developed a profuse diarrhoea that spread to non-inoculated, colostrum-deprived litter mates and, occassionally, to colostrum-fed piglets. Case fatality rates in these 3 categories of piglets were 63.2 %, 35.7 % and 8.3 %, respectively. Surviving piglets recovered in 1–2 weeks, but shedded virus via the faeces for up to 3 weeks p. i. The D-xylose test revealed severe malabsorption, with extremely flat absorption curves for up to 3–4 weeks p. i. Malabsorption was more marked in piglets with a long-lasting faecal virus excretion than in piglets where virus disappeared from the faeces within 10 days p. i. Infected piglets (colostrum-fed and colostrum-deprived) had decreased weight gains and were 5 days older at a body weight of 25 kg than non-inoculated controls. It is concluded that rotavirus is probably of significance in diarrhoeal syndromes in suckling piglets, alone or in combination with E. coli or other pathogens.

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Acknowledgement

This study was aided by grants from “Forsøgsleder R. Nørtoft Thomsens legat” and “Hans Kiers Fond”.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Departments of Internal Medicine and Veterinary Virology and Immunology, National Veterinary Laboratory, Royal Veterinary and Agricultural University, 13 Bülowsvej, DK-1870, Frederiksberg C, Denmark

    Birgitta Svensmark, Jon Askaa, Conny Wolstrup & Knud Nielsen

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  1. Birgitta Svensmark
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  2. Jon Askaa
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  3. Conny Wolstrup
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  4. Knud Nielsen
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Svensmark, B., Askaa, J., Wolstrup, C. et al. Epidemiological Studies of Piglet Diarrhoea in Intensively Managed Danish Sow Herds. Acta Vet Scand 30, 71–76 (1989). https://doi.org/10.1186/BF03548070

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Acta Veterinaria Scandinavica

ISSN: 1751-0147