Skip to main content
ARS Home » Midwest Area » Ames, Iowa » National Animal Disease Center » Virus and Prion Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #78340
Title: PORCINE ENTERIC CALICIVIRUS: DEVELOPMENT OF AN ANIMAL MODEL FOR INFECTION BY SMALL ROUND STRUCTURED VIRUSES IN HUMANS

Author
item Neill, John
item Kunkle, Robert
item Woods, Roger
item Bolin, Steven - Steve

Submitted to: American Society for Virology Meeting
Publication Type: Abstract Only
Publication Acceptance Date: 7/23/1997
Publication Date: N/A
Citation: N/A

Interpretive Summary:

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.