Project Number: 5030-32000-118-66-I
Project Type: Interagency Reimbursable Agreement

Start Date: Jul 30, 2018
End Date: Dec 31, 2019

Objective:
Objective 1: Testing environmental samples from lairage at selected slaughter plants for Seneca valley virus (SVV) contamination using PCR, virus isolation (VI), and bioassay. Objective 2: Determine minimum infectious dose for contemporary SVV isolates.

Approach:
Objective 1 Experimental Design: Periodic sampling of 8 slaughter house locations, as determined by Cooperator, will be conducted over a 3-month period. Samples will be collected using a dry electrostatic sampling technique of penning to test for Seneca valley virus (SVV) using PCR, virus isolation (VI), and bioassay. Samples will be processed, divided into aliquots, and stored for testing. Depending on the number of samples, bioassay may be limited to a subset of the samples, for example, only PCR-positive samples or only PCR-negative samples. Analysis of results will correlate the RT-PCR assay threshold cycle value with infectious titer in cell culture and infectious titer for pig for samples from the field. The field results will be compared to complimentary ongoing studies using same techniques on samples collected from controlled experimentally SVV-infected pigs. Objective 2 Experimental Design: A minimum dose study will be conducted in neonatal pigs using a 2017 or 2018 Seneca virus A (SVA) isolate. Analysis of results will demonstrate minimum infectious dose for pigs which will help determine potential risk of environmental contamination.