Project Number: 1940-32000-057-31
Project Type: Trust

Start Date: Dec 01, 2011
End Date: Dec 01, 2013

Objective:
The goal of this research project is to determine if pigs are competent hosts to maintain persistent infection with Foot-and-Mouth Disease virus (FMDV). Specific objectives include: (1) Determine optimal route of direct inoculation of donor pigs for contact experiments through the comparison of inoculation routes. (2) Characterize FMDV acute pathogenesis parameters of infection in contact transmission studies using FMDV serotype O. (3) Characterize FMDV post-acute pathogenesis parameters of infection in contact transmission studies using FMDV, serotype O. (4) Characterize FMDV chronic pathogenesis parameters of infection in contact transmission studies using FMDV serotypes A and Asia 1.

Approach:
(1) A comparative study to determine the efficacy of intra-oral and heel bulb-intradermal FMD inoculation as administration route using FMDV serotype O. Determine tissue tropism of FMDV during acute disease in pigs through time-course study which will include transmission experiments. Sample tissues will be screened for presence of FMDV and further by immunomicroscopy. (2) Similar to above, studies will be conducted to determine if pigs, which are allowed to survive acute FMD infection, subsequently become chronic asymptomatic carriers/shedders. Tissues collected in late stage infection will be analyzed for the presence of FMDV. (3) Pigs in post-acute phase will be tested for their ability to transmit FMDV serotype O to naïve pigs through contact exposure. (4) Similar transmission studies will be conducted using serotypes A and Asia 1.