Transmissible Gastroenteritis Virus



Also known as: TGEV

Antigenicity

  • Single serotype

Hosts

  • Pigs

Pathogenesis

  • Malabsorptive diarrhoea
  • All ages susceptible but effects vary on age:
    • Less than 2 weeks of age: typically fatal
    • Over 5 weeks of age: recovery and immunity
  • For more, see here

Epidemiology

  • Largely replaced by a respiratory variant in Europe
  • Highly contagious spread by orofecal transmission
  • Two forms of infection can occur:
    • Epizootic: Explosive infection
      • Introduction to a non-immune herd spreads quickly
    • Enzootic: Persistent infection
      • Immune sows provide passive immunity but piglets will suffer mild symptoms post-weaning

Diagnosis

  • Fluorescent microscopy on SI sections

Control

Explosive infection:

  • Separate sows 2 weeks from farrowing
  • Exposure of flock will serve to immunise
  • No effective vaccines exist