Vector-free transmission and persistence of Japanese encephalitis virus in pigs

Meret E. Ricklin, Obdulio García-Nicolás, Daniel Brechbühl, Sylvie Python, Beatrice Zumkehr, Antoine Nougairede, Remi N. Charrel, Horst Posthaus, Anna Oevermann and Artur Summerfield ()
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Meret E. Ricklin: Institute of Virology and Immunology
Obdulio García-Nicolás: Institute of Virology and Immunology
Daniel Brechbühl: Institute of Virology and Immunology
Sylvie Python: Institute of Virology and Immunology
Beatrice Zumkehr: Institute of Virology and Immunology
Antoine Nougairede: Aix Marseille Université, U190-IRD French Institute of Research for Development, U1207-INSERM Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale, EHESP French School of Public Health, EPV UMR_D 190 “Emergence des Pathologies Virales”, & IHU Méditerranée Infection, APHM Public Hospitals of Marseille
Remi N. Charrel: Aix Marseille Université, U190-IRD French Institute of Research for Development, U1207-INSERM Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale, EHESP French School of Public Health, EPV UMR_D 190 “Emergence des Pathologies Virales”, & IHU Méditerranée Infection, APHM Public Hospitals of Marseille
Horst Posthaus: Institute for Animal Pathology, Vetsuisse faculty, University of Bern
Anna Oevermann: Vetsuisse Faculty, University of Bern
Artur Summerfield: Institute of Virology and Immunology

Nature Communications, 2016, vol. 7, issue 1, 1-9

Abstract: Abstract Japanese encephalitis virus (JEV), a main cause of severe viral encephalitis in humans, has a complex ecology, composed of a cycle involving primarily waterbirds and mosquitoes, as well as a cycle involving pigs as amplifying hosts. To date, JEV transmission has been exclusively described as being mosquito-mediated. Here we demonstrate that JEV can be transmitted between pigs in the absence of arthropod vectors. Pigs shed virus in oronasal secretions and are highly susceptible to oronasal infection. Clinical symptoms, virus tropism and central nervous system histological lesions are similar in pigs infected through needle, contact or oronasal inoculation. In all cases, a particularly important site of replication are the tonsils, in which JEV is found to persist for at least 25 days despite the presence of high levels of neutralizing antibodies. Our findings could have a major impact on the ecology of JEV in temperate regions with short mosquito seasons.

Date: 2016
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DOI: 10.1038/ncomms10832

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