First report of seroprevalence of swine influenza a virus in Tibetan pigs in Tibet, China

Abstract

Swine influenza A virus (SIV) is zoonotic pathogen that can be acquired by food-borne transmission because food animals, for example pigs, are recognized as a reservoir. The objectives of this study were to determine the seroprevalence of anti-SIV (H1N1 and H3N2) in Tibetan pigs in Tibet Nationality Autonomous Region, China, a region with cold weather and high altitude. A total of 421 serum samples were randomly collected from Tibetan pigs in Tibet and were evaluated for antibodies against SIV using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Overall, 52% (219/421) of the animals was positive for H1N1, 16.9% (71/421) positive for H3N2, and 8.8% (37/421) positive for both H1N1 and H3N2. The results of the present survey indicated that SIV is highly prevalent among Tibetan pigs in Tibet, China. The results of the present investigation have implications for the ongoing control of SIV infection in Tibetan pigs in Tibet, China and elsewhere.