ARS | Publication request: PORCINE ENTERIC CALICIVIRUS: DEVELOPMENT OF AN ANIMAL MODEL FOR INFECTION BY SMALL ROUND STRUCTURED VIRUSES IN HUMANS

Submitted to: American Society for Virology Meeting
Publication Type: Abstract Only
Publication Acceptance Date: July 23, 1997
Publication Date: N/A

Technical Abstract: Small round structured viruses (SRSVs) cause a common acute, infectious gastroenteritis in humans which is spread by human contact and by contaminated food stuffs. Progress in elucidation of disease processes has been hampered by inability to propagate these viruses in culture or an appropriate animal model. Clinical signs of porcine enteric calicivirus (PECV) infection (diarrhea and lethargy) were apparent between 40 and 48 hours post-infection. Duration of illness was 48 to 72 hours. Histologic changes within the small intestine of infected animals were consistent with human disease and included disorganization of enterocytes, blunted, shortened and fused villi and crypt hyperplasia. The jejunum was the most consistent site of lesions, although the entire small intestine was involved. In especially severe lesions, villus apices were denuded of epithelium due to the rapid loss of enterocytes. Virus morphologically consistent with calicivirus were observed in enterocytes. The PECV model will make it possible to study different aspects of infection by the enteric caliciviruses, especially as it relates to human disease.