Original research Peer reviewed A field and laboratory investigation of viral diseases of swine in the Republic of Haiti Rodney Jacques-Simon, DVM; Max Millien, DVM; J. Keith Flanagan, DVM; John Shaw, PhD; Paula Morales, MS; Julio Pinto, DVM, PhD; David Pyburn, DVM; Wendy Gonzalez, DVM; Angel Ventura, DVM; Thierry Lefrancois, DVM, PhD; Jennifer Pradel, DVM, MS, PhD; Sabrina Swenson, DVM, PhD; Melinda Jenkins-Moore; Dawn Toms; Matthew Erdman, DVM, PhD; Linda Cox, MS; Alexa J. Bracht; Andrew Fabian; Fawzi M. Mohamed, BVSc, MS, PhD; Karen Moran; Emily O’Hearn; Consuelo Carrillo, DVM, PhD; Gregory Mayr, PhD; William White, BVSc, MPH; Samia Metwally, DVM, PhD; Michael T. McIntosh, PhD; Mingyi Deng, DVM, MS, PhD Summary porcine teschovirus type 1 (PTV-1) and por- PRRSV, and SIV, are present in the Haitian Objective: To confirm the prevalence of cine circovirus type 2 (PCV-2), respectively. swine population. Additionally, 7.3%, 11.9%, and 22.0% of teschovirus encephalomyelitis in multiple Implications: Due to the close proximity sera were positive for antibodies to porcine regions in Haiti and to identify other viral of the Hispaniola to Puerto Rico, a territory reproductive and respiratory syndrome virus agents present in the swine population. of the United States, and the large number (PRRSV) and swine influenza virus (SIV) of direct flights from the Hispaniola to the Materials and methods: A field investiga- H3N2 and H1N1, respectively. Among the United States, the risk of introducing the tion was conducted on 35 swine premises 54 sera positive for antibodies to PTV-1, viral diseases mentioned in this paper into located in 10 regions. Sera from 109 pigs, 35 (64.8%) were also positive for antibod- the North America swine population is high. including 23 sick and 86 apparently healthy ies to PCV-2. Classical swine fever virus pigs, blood samples from 21 sick pigs, and (CSFV) was isolated from five sera. These Keywords: swine, viral disease, porcine tes- brains, spinal cords, and other tissue samples results confirm that teschovirus encephalo- chovirus, teschovirus encephalomyelitis, Haiti from eight humanely euthanized pigs were myelitis is prevalent in multiple regions in Received: April 19, 2012 collected and tested. Haiti, including areas near the border with Accepted: August 28, 2012 Results: Of the 109 serum samples, 49.5% the Dominican Republic, and that several and 58.7% were positive for antibodies to other viral disease agents, ie, CSFV, PCV-2, Resumen - Una investigación de campo en múltiples regiones en Haití e identi- porcinas localizadas en 10 regiones. Se y de laboratorio de enfermedades virales ficar otros agentes virales presentes en la recolectaron y analizaron los sueros de 109 porcinas en la República de Haití población porcina. cerdos, incluyendo 23 cerdos enfermos y 86 aparentemente sanos, 21 muestras de sangre Objetivo: Confirmar la prevalencia del virus Materiales y métodos: Se realizó una de cerdos enfermos, y cerebros, médulas teschovirus causante de encefalomielitis investigación de campo en 35 instalaciones espinales, y otras muestras de tejido de ocho cerdos que fueron eutanasiados. RJS, MM: National Veterinary Services, the Ministry of Agriculture, Natural Resources and Rural Resultados: De las 109 muestras de suero, Development, Port-au-Prince, Republic of Haiti. 49.5% y 58.7% resultaron positivos a anti- JKF: Interamerica Institute for Cooperation on Agriculture, Port-au-Prince, Republic of Haiti. cuerpos contra el teschovirus porcino tipo 1 (PTV-1 por sus siglas en inglés) y el circo- JS, PM: USDA, APHIS, US Embassy, Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic. virus porcino tipo 2 (PCV-2 por sus siglas JP, SM: Animal Health Service, Food and Agriculture Organization, Rome, Italy. en inglés), respectivamente. Además, 7.3%, DP: USDA, APHIS, VS, Swine Health Program, Des Moines, Iowa. 11.9%, y 22.0% de los sueros resultaron positivos a los anticuerpos contra el virus WG, AV: Ministry of Agriculture, Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic. del síndrome reproductivo y respiratorio TL, JP: CIRAD, Mixt Research Unit, Control of Exotic and Emerging Diseases, F-97170 Petit Bourg, porcino (PRRSV por sus siglas en inglés) y Guadeloupe, France. al virus de la influenza porcina (SIV por sus SS, MJM, DT, ME, LC: USDA, APHIS, NVSL, Ames, Iowa. siglas en inglés) H3N2 y el H1N1, respec- tivamente. Entre los 54 sueros positivos a los AJB, AF, FMM, KM, EOH, CC, GM, WW, MTM, MD: USDA, APHIS, VS, NVSL, FADDL, anticuerpos contra el PTV-1, 35 (64.8%) Greenport, New York. también resultaron positivos a los anticuer- Corresponding author: Dr Mingyi Deng, USDA, APHIS, VS, NVSL, Foreign Animal Disease pos contra el PCV-2. Se aisló el virus de la Diagnostic Laboratory, PO Box 848, Greenport, NY 11944; Tel: 631-323-3013; Fax: 631-323-3366; fiebre porcina clásica (CSFV por sus siglas E-mail: [email protected]. en inglés) de cinco sueros. Estos resultados This article is available online at http://www.aasv.org/shap.html. confirman que el teschovirus que produce encefalomielitis es prevalente en múltiples Jacques-Simon R, Millien M, Flanagan JK, et al. A field and laboratory investigation of viral diseases of swine in the Republic of Haiti. J Swine Health Prod. 2013;21(3):130–138. regiones de Haití, incluyendo áreas cerca de 130 Journal of Swine Health and Production — May and June 2013 la frontera con la República Dominicana, Matériels et méthodes: Une enquête sur le 35 (64,8%) étaient également positifs pour y que algunos otros agentes de enfermedad terrain a été réalisée sur 35 sites situés dans la présence d’anticorps contre PCV-2. Le viral, ie, CSFV, PCV-2, PRRSV, y SIV, están 10 régions. On a prélevé et testé du sérum virus de la peste porcine classique (CSFV) a presentes en población porcina Haitiana. provenant de 109 porcs, incluant 23 malades été isolé de cinq échantillons de sérum. Ces et 86 apparemment en santé; des échantil- résultats confirment que le teschovirus de Implicaciones: Debido a la cercanía de La lons de sang provenant de 21 porcs malades; l’encéphalomyélite est prévalent dans de nom- Española con Puerto Rico, un territorio de et le cerveau, la moelle épinière, et d’autres breuses régions à Haïti, incluant des régions los Estados Unidos, y al gran número de échantillons de tissu de huit porcs euthana- proches de la frontière avec la République vuelos directos de La Española a los Estados siés humainement. Dominicaine, et que plusieurs autres virus Unidos, el riesgo de introducir las enferme- responsables de maladie virales, ie, CSFV, dades virales mencionadas en este escrito a la Résultats: Des 109 échantillons de sérum, PCV-2, PRRSV, et SIV sont présents dans la población porcina de Norte América es alto. 49,5% et 58,7% étaient positifs, respective- population porcine haïtienne. ment, pour la présence d’anticorps contre le teschovirus porcin de type 1 (PTV-1) Implications: Compte tenu de la proximité Résumé - Enquête sur le terrain et en et le circovirus porcin de type 2 (PCV-2). rapprochée de l’île d’Hispaniola à celle de laboratoire des maladies virales porcines à De plus, 7,3%, 11,9%, et 22,0% des sérums Puerto Rico, un territoire appartenant aux Haïti étaient positifs pour la présence d’anticorps États-Unis, et du grand nombre de vols aéri- Objectif: Confirmer la prévalence de contre le virus du syndrome reproducteur et ens directs en provenance d’Hispaniola vers l’encéphalomyélite à teschovirus dans de nom- respiratoire porcin (PRRSV) et le virus de les États-Unis, le risque d’introduire les mala- breuses régions à Haïti et identifier d’autres l’influenza porcin (SIV) H3N2 et H1N1, dies virales mentionnées dans cet article dans agents viraux présents dans la population respectivement. Parmi les 54 sérums positifs la population porcine Nord-Américaine est porcine. pour la présence d’anticorps contre PTV-1, élevé. eschovirus encephalomyelitis (pre- In Haiti, the swine population is currently (FADDL), Plum Island, New York.6 The viously called Teschen disease) is estimated at 600,000 pigs, distributed entire genome of the Haitian PTV-1 was an acute disease that affects pigs, mainly in backyard premises (written com- sequenced, and phylogenetic analyses on Tcausing central nervous system (CNS) dys- munication, Drs Max Millien and Rodney the polyprotein of PTV strains indicate functions.1 The infectious agent that causes Jacques-Simon, 2012). With very little that the Haitian isolate is most closely this disease, as well as less pathogenic strains, hard currency in the countryside, pigs serve related to other PTV-1 strains, including belong to a single viral species called porcine as living savings accounts for farmers and the strain Konratice which was isolated in teschovirus (PTV), in the genus Teschovirus, are sold or slaughtered to pay for marriages, Czechoslovakia from pigs with porcine viral family Picornaviridae.1,2 There are at least 11 medical emergencies, schooling, or seeds for encephalomyelitis (Teschen disease).6 One distinct serotypes of PTV: PTV-1 through crops.4 Classical swine fever (CSF) was intro- of two pigs inoculated with the Haitian PTV-11.1,2 Some strains of PTV-1 cause duced into Haiti for the first time in 1920 PTV-1 isolate showed typical clinical signs severe teschovirus encephalomyelitis, while and remained endemic until 1984, when of teschovirus encephalomyelitis, including other strains, as well as other PTV serotypes, the entire swine population of the island of paralysis of the hindquarters, on day 32 cause milder disease or inapparent infections Hispaniola, which is shared by Haiti and post inoculation at the NVSL (e-mail com- in pigs.1,2 The first clinical signs of tescho- the Dominican Republic, was slaughtered munication, 2011, John J. Schiltz, DVM, virus encephalomyelitis usually appear after because of an outbreak of African swine fever Veterinary Medical Officer of the Diagnostic an incubation period of 10 to 20 days and (ASF).5 Classical swine fever re-entered Haiti Virology Laboratory of the NVSL).