Evidence of porcine epidemic diarrhea virus (PEDV) shedding in semen from infected specific pathogen-free boars

• DOI: 10.1186/s13567-018-0505-2
• Publication Date: 2018-01-24T13:04:37Z
• Authors: Sarah Gallien; Angélique Moro; Gérald Lediguerher; Virginie Catinot; Frédéric Paboeuf; Lionel Bigault; Mustapha Berri; Phillip C. Gauger; Nathalie Pozzi; Edith Authié; Nicolas Rose; Béatrice Grasland
• Keywords: virus de la diarrhee porcine; Male; 570; Swine; [SDV]Life Sciences [q-bio]; Virologie; sperme; Veterinary medicine; 0403 veterinary science; Semen; Virology; SF600-1100; Animals; contamination de semence; verrat; Swine Diseases; General Veterinary; Porcine epidemic diarrhea virus; RT-qPCR; 04 agricultural and veterinary sciences; Specific Pathogen-Free Organisms; Virus Shedding; 3. Good health; [SDV] Life Sciences [q-bio]; Médecine vétérinaire et santé animal; Veterinary medicine and animal Health; expérimentation; Coronavirus Infections; porc; Research Article

In 2013, PED emerged for the first time in the United States (US). The porcine epidemic diarrhea virus (PEDV) spread quickly throughout North America. Infection with PEDV causes watery diarrhea and up to 100% mortality in piglets, particularly for highly pathogenic non-InDel strains circulating in the US. PEDV is mainly transmitted by the fecal-oral route. Transmission via the venereal route has been suspected but not previously investigated. The aim of the study was to determine if PEDV could be detected in semen from infected specific pathogen-free (SPF) boars inoculated with a PEDV US non-InDel strain suggesting venereal transmission may occur. Two boars orally inoculated with PEDV showed clinical signs and virus shedding in feces. Transient presence of the PEDV genome was detected by RT-qPCR in the seminal (5.06 × 102 to 2.44 × 103 genomic copies/mL) and sperm-rich fraction of semen (5.64 × 102 to 3.40 × 104 genomic copies/mL) and a longer duration of viral shedding was observed in the sperm-rich fraction. The evidence of PEDV shedding in semen raises new questions in term of disease spread within the pig population with the use of potentially contaminated semen.