Evidence of porcine epidemic diarrhea virus (PEDV) shedding in semen from infected specific pathogen-free boars

Sarah Gallien,Angélique Moro,Frédéric Paboeuf,Béatrice Grasland,Mustapha Berri,Phillip C Gauger,Lionel Bigault,Nicolas Rose,Edith Authié,Virginie Catinot,Gérald Lediguerher,Nathalie Pozzi

doi:10.1186/s13567-018-0505-2

Abstract

In 2013, PED emerged for the first time in the United States (US). The porcine epidemic diarrhea virus (PEDV) spread quickly throughout North America. Infection with PEDV causes watery diarrhea and up to 100% mortality in piglets, particularly for highly pathogenic non-InDel strains circulating in the US. PEDV is mainly transmitted by the fecal–oral route. Transmission via the venereal route has been suspected but not previously investigated. The aim of the study was to determine if PEDV could be detected in semen from infected specific pathogen-free (SPF) boars inoculated with a PEDV US non-InDel strain suggesting venereal transmission may occur. Two boars orally inoculated with PEDV showed clinical signs and virus shedding in feces. Transient presence of the PEDV genome was detected by RT-qPCR in the seminal (5.06 × 102 to 2.44 × 103 genomic copies/mL) and sperm-rich fraction of semen (5.64 × 102 to 3.40 × 104 genomic copies/mL) and a longer duration of viral shedding was observed in the sperm-rich fraction. The evidence of PEDV shedding in semen raises new questions in term of disease spread within the pig population with the use of potentially contaminated semen.

Highlights

Porcine epidemic diarrhea (PED) emerged for the first time in Europe during the 1970s [1]
Boar infection The boars inoculated with the porcine epidemic diarrhea virus (PEDV) strain demonstrated clinical signs with diarrhea observed during two periods: from 2 to 5 dpi and again from 25 to 28 dpi
The clinical signs observed in boars infected with a nonInDel United States (US) strain of PEDV in this study were more pronounced than expected

Summary

Introduction

Porcine epidemic diarrhea (PED) emerged for the first time in Europe during the 1970s [1]. The virus responsible for this disease is an alphacoronavirus known as porcine epidemic diarrhea virus (PEDV). The PEDV has a single-stranded, positive-sense RNA genome. An infection with PEDV in pigs leads to severe liquid diarrhea, vomiting and dehydration. PEDV causes high mortality [2]. Morbidity may approach 100%, but mortality remains low between 1 and 3% [3]. PEDV is present on the Asian, American and European continents. In 2013, 40 years after the first cases of PED in Europe, the disease emerged in the United States (US), in the Midwestern

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