Abstract
A literature review was conducted to assess the spatiotemporal trend and diversity of infectious agents that were newly found in pigs between 1985 and 2010. We identified 173 new variants from 91 species, of which 73 species had not been previously described in pigs. These new species, of which one third was zoonotic, were taxonomically diverse. They were identified throughout the study period, predominantly in the main pork producing countries, with the rate of discovery of new virus variants doubling within the last 10 years of the study period. Whilst infectious agent species newly detected in high-income countries were more likely to be associated with higher virulence, zoonotic agents prevailed in low- and middle-income countries. Although this trend is influenced by factors conditioning infectious agent detection – diagnostic methods, surveillance efforts, research interests –, it may suggest that different scales and types of production systems promote emergence of certain types of infectious agents. Considering the rapid transformation of the swine industry, concerted efforts are needed for improving our understanding of the factors influencing the emergence of infectious agents. This information then needs to inform the design of risk-based surveillance systems and strategies directly mitigating the risk associated with these factors.Electronic supplementary materialThe online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s13567-015-0226-8) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.
Highlights
Infectious agent species to which these new variants belonged are further described in Additional files 2 and 3
The observed spatiotemporal pattern is likely to have been influenced by advances in diagnostic methods and variations in surveillance efforts. This includes the development of broad-range polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and meta-genomic analyses [26], reductions in the costs associated with diagnostic testing, spatial and temporal changes in the priorities and sensitivity of active and passive animal health surveillance, and the evolution of research interests [27]
This may partly explain the finding that Influenza A viruses, Rotavirus A, E faecalis and S suis account for more variants than other infectious agent species
Summary
Results 1.1 Taxonomic diversity 1.2 Temporal patterns 1.3 Spatial patterns 1.4 Host range 1.5 Context of discovery 4. From 1985 to 2010, Novel infectious agents of pigs can represent a potential threat for public health. Human pathogens are of zoonotic origin [8,9,10], and pigs are a known reservoir for some of them (e.g. Streptococcus suis). Influenza A viruses circulating in pigs may be involved in the generation of novel pandemic strains [11,12]. Pig populations may act as intermediate hosts, amplifying infectious agents transmitted from other wild or domestic animal species, and transmitting them to humans (e.g. Nipah virus). The study of the spatiotemporal trend of swine infectious agent discovery is, of importance for pig health and welfare, as well as public health
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