Geospatial and temporal associations of Getah virus circulation among pigs and horses around the perimeter of outbreaks in Japanese racehorses in 2014 and 2015.
Abstract: We studied a recent epizootic of Getah virus infection among pigs in the southern part of Ibaraki Prefecture and the northern part of Chiba Prefecture, Japan, focusing on its possible association with outbreaks in racehorses in 2014 and 2015. The genomic sequence of a Getah virus strain from an infected pig was analyzed to evaluate the degree of identity with the strains from horses. Results: Sera were collected from pigs from September to December 2012 to 2015 in south Ibaraki (380 pigs in 29 batches), and from September to December 2010 to 2015 in north Chiba (538 pigs in 104 batches). They were examined by using a virus-neutralizing test for Getah virus. Seropositivity rates in 2012-2013 in south Ibaraki and 2010-2012 in north Chiba ranged from 0% to 1.6%. In south Ibaraki, seropositivity rates in 2014 (28.8%) and 2015 (65.0%) were significantly higher than those in the previous years (P < 0.01); 4/5 batches had positive sera in 2014 and 7/7 in 2015. In north Chiba, seropositivity rates in 2013 (14.1%), 2014 (17.8%), and 2015 (48.0%) were significantly higher than those in the previous years (P < 0.01); 6/27 batches had positive sera in 2013, 3/9 in 2014, and 5/5 in 2015. Complete genome analysis revealed that the virus isolated from an infected pig had 99.89% to 99.94% nucleotide identity to the strains isolated from horses during the outbreaks in 2014 and 2015. Conclusions: Serological surveillance of Getah virus in pigs revealed that the virus was circulating in south Ibaraki and north Chiba in 2014 and 2015; this was concomitant with the outbreaks in racehorses. The Getah virus strain isolated from a pig was closely related to the ones from horses during the 2014 and 2015 outbreaks. To our knowledge, this is the first convincing case of simultaneous circulation of Getah virus both among pigs and horses in specific areas.
Publication Date: 2017-06-19 PubMed ID: 28629406PubMed Central: PMC5477264DOI: 10.1186/s12917-017-1112-6Google Scholar: Lookup
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Summary
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The research paper investigates a recent outbreak of Getah virus among pigs in Japan and its potential connection with outbreaks of the same virus in racehorses during 2014 and 2015. After performing serological surveillance and completing genome analysis, the researchers found simultaneous circulation of the virus in pigs and horses.
Research Study and Methodology
- The researchers concentrated on an epizootic or animal epidemic of Getah virus in the southern area of Ibaraki Prefecture and northern part of Chiba Prefecture, Japan.
- The study focuses on how this pig outbreak could have been associated with Getah virus outbreaks in racehorses in 2014 and 2015.
- The degree of genetic similarity between the Getah virus strain found in an infected pig and strains found in horses was analysed by studying the genomic sequence.
- Sera were collected from two batches of pigs in south Ibaraki and north Chiba for several years and were tested for the presence of Getah virus.
Results of the Study
- Seroposivity rates revealed low prevalence of the virus in 2012-2013 in south Ibaraki and 2010-2012 in north Chiba, with rates ranging between 0 – 1.6%.
- There was a significant increase in seropositivity rates in the later years, indicating a higher prevalence of Getah virus, especially in south Ibaraki in 2014 (28.8%) and 2015 (65.0%) and north Chiba in 2013 (14.1%), 2014 (17.8%), and 2015 (48.0%).
- Genome analysis showed that the Getah virus strain isolated from an infected pig had a 99.89% to 99.94% genetic match to the strains isolated from racehorses during 2014 and 2015 outbreaks.
Conclusions
- The research concluded that the Getah virus was circulating among pigs in south Ibaraki and north Chiba during the same time as outbreaks among racehorses were taking place in the years 2014 and 2015.
- The Getah virus strain isolated from the pig was found to be nearly identical to the one from racehorses, suggesting a strong relation between the two outbreaks.
- This study is the first to provide compelling evidence for the concurrent circulation of the Getah virus among pig and horse populations in certain areas.
Cite This Article
APA
Bannai H, Nemoto M, Niwa H, Murakami S, Tsujimura K, Yamanaka T, Kondo T.
(2017).
Geospatial and temporal associations of Getah virus circulation among pigs and horses around the perimeter of outbreaks in Japanese racehorses in 2014 and 2015.
BMC Vet Res, 13(1), 187.
https://doi.org/10.1186/s12917-017-1112-6 Publication
Researcher Affiliations
- Equine Research Institute, Japan Racing Association, 1400-4 Shiba, Shimotsuke, Tochigi, 329-0412, Japan. bannai@equinst.go.jp.
- Equine Research Institute, Japan Racing Association, 1400-4 Shiba, Shimotsuke, Tochigi, 329-0412, Japan.
- Equine Research Institute, Japan Racing Association, 1400-4 Shiba, Shimotsuke, Tochigi, 329-0412, Japan.
- Thermo Fisher Scientific, Life Technologies Japan Ltd, 4-2-8 Shibaura, Minato-ku, Tokyo, Japan.
- Equine Research Institute, Japan Racing Association, 1400-4 Shiba, Shimotsuke, Tochigi, 329-0412, Japan.
- Equine Research Institute, Japan Racing Association, 1400-4 Shiba, Shimotsuke, Tochigi, 329-0412, Japan.
- Equine Research Institute, Japan Racing Association, 1400-4 Shiba, Shimotsuke, Tochigi, 329-0412, Japan.
MeSH Terms
- Alphavirus / classification
- Alphavirus / isolation & purification
- Alphavirus Infections / epidemiology
- Alphavirus Infections / transmission
- Alphavirus Infections / veterinary
- Animals
- Chlorocebus aethiops
- DNA, Viral
- Disease Outbreaks / veterinary
- Genome, Viral
- Horse Diseases / epidemiology
- Horse Diseases / transmission
- Horse Diseases / virology
- Horses
- Japan / epidemiology
- Phylogeny
- RNA, Viral / blood
- Sequence Analysis, DNA
- Species Specificity
- Swine
- Swine Diseases / epidemiology
- Swine Diseases / transmission
- Swine Diseases / virology
- Vero Cells
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