Prolonged Viability of Senecavirus A in Exposed House Flies (Musca domestica).

Justin Heath Turner,Mayara Fernanda Maggioli,Fernando Vicosa Bauermann,Cristina Mendes Peter,Robert Miknis,Willian Pinto Paim,Justin Talley

doi:10.3390/v14010127

Abstract

House flies (Musca domestica) are often present in swine farms worldwide. These flies utilize animal secretions and waste as a food source. House flies may harbor and transport microbes and pathogens acting as mechanical vectors for diseases. Senecavirus A (SVA) infection in pigs occurs via oronasal route, and animals shed high virus titers to the environment. Additionally, SVA possesses increased environmental resistance. Due to these reasons, we investigated the tenacity of SVA in house flies. Five groups of flies, each composed of ten females and ten males, were exposed to SVA, titer of 109.3 tissue culture infectious dose (TCID50/mL). Groups of male and female flies were collected at 0, 6, 12, 24, and 48 h post-exposure. For comparison purposes, groups of flies were exposed to Swinepox virus (SwPV). Infectious SVA was identified in all tested groups. Successful isolation of SVA demonstrated the titers varied between 106.8 and 102.8 TCID50/mL in female groups and varied from 105.85 to 103.8 TCID50/mL in male groups. In contrast, infectious SwPV was only detected in the female group at 6 h. The significant SVA infectious titer for prolonged periods of time, up to 48 h, indicates a potential role of flies in SVA transmission.

Highlights

Senecavirus A (SVA) is a nonenveloped virus member of the Picornaviridae family within the Senecavirus genus
The VD clinical presentation associated with SVA is indistinguishable from that of other viral pathogens associated with VD in swine, including swine vesicular disease, vesicular stomatitis, vesicular exanthema of swine, and foot-and-mouth disease [9]
Many flies are found in swine farms worldwide, and house flies feed on microbial-rich substrates, animal secretion, feces, and decomposing carcasses and tissues [22]

Summary

Introduction

Senecavirus A (SVA) is a nonenveloped virus member of the Picornaviridae family within the Senecavirus genus. SVA was identified and characterized in 2002 as a cell culture contaminant and later was occasionally detected in isolated cases of idiopathic vesicular disease in pigs [1,2,3]. Pigs are usually infected via the oronasal route, and after a short incubation period of typically less than five days, animals start displaying lethargy and lameness followed by the development of vesicles [9,10]. These lesions are usually present in the snout, oral mucosa, and/or feet. House flies (Musca domestica) commonly feed in animal secretion and excretion. The viability of another environment-resistant virus that causes skin disease in pigs, Swinepox virus (SwPV), was evaluated

Viruses and Cells

House Flies

Study Design

Virus Isolation and Titration

Nucleic Acid Purification and Amplification

Results and Discussion