Evidence of infectivity of airborne porcine epidemic diarrhea virus and detection of airborne viral RNA at long distances from infected herds

Carmen Alonso; Dane P Goede; Robert B Morrison; Peter R Davies; Albert Rovira; Douglas G Marthaler; Montserrat Torremorell

doi:10.1186/s13567-014-0073-z

Evidence of infectivity of airborne porcine epidemic diarrhea virus and detection of airborne viral RNA at long distances from infected herds

Vet Res. 2014 Jul 14;45(1):73. doi: 10.1186/s13567-014-0073-z.

Authors

Carmen Alonso¹, Dane P Goede², Robert B Morrison³, Peter R Davies⁴, Albert Rovira⁵, Douglas G Marthaler⁶, Montserrat Torremorell⁷

Affiliations

¹ Department of Veterinary Population Medicine, College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Minnesota, Saint Paul, Minnesota, USA. alons015@umn.edu.
² Department of Veterinary Population Medicine, College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Minnesota, Saint Paul, Minnesota, USA. goed0051@umn.edu.
³ Department of Veterinary Population Medicine, College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Minnesota, Saint Paul, Minnesota, USA. bobm@umn.edu.
⁴ Department of Veterinary Population Medicine, College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Minnesota, Saint Paul, Minnesota, USA. davie001@umn.edu.
⁵ Department of Veterinary Population Medicine, College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Minnesota, Saint Paul, Minnesota, USA. rove0010@umn.edu.
⁶ Department of Veterinary Population Medicine, College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Minnesota, Saint Paul, Minnesota, USA. marth027@umn.edu.
⁷ Department of Veterinary Population Medicine, College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Minnesota, Saint Paul, Minnesota, USA. torr0033@umn.edu.

Abstract

Porcine epidemic diarrhea virus (PEDV) spread rapidly after being diagnosed in the USA in April 2013. In this study we assessed whether PEDV could become airborne and if so, whether the virus was infectious. Air samples were collected both from a room containing experimentally infected pigs and at various distances from the outside of swine farms experiencing acute PEDV outbreaks. Results indicated presence of infectious PEDV in the air from experimentally infected pigs and genetic material of PEDV was detected up to 10 miles downwind from naturally infected farms. Airborne transmission should be considered as a potential route for PEDV dissemination.

Publication types

Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

Air Microbiology*
Animals
Coronavirus Infections / transmission
Coronavirus Infections / veterinary*
Coronavirus Infections / virology
Polymerase Chain Reaction / veterinary
Porcine epidemic diarrhea virus / isolation & purification*
Porcine epidemic diarrhea virus / physiology*
RNA, Viral / analysis*
RNA, Viral / genetics
RNA, Viral / isolation & purification
Swine
Swine Diseases / transmission*
Swine Diseases / virology

Substances

RNA, Viral