Neurotropic Viral Infections in Swine Systems
Summary
Neurotropic viral infections in swine pose significant challenges to animal health, farm productivity and, potentially, public safety. Among these agents, porcine hemagglutinating encephalomyelitis virus (PHEV) is the principal neurotropic pathogen, capable of invading the peripheral and central nervous systems of neonatal piglets. Infection often follows initial replication in the respiratory or alimentary mucosa, with retrograde axonal transport facilitating spread to cranial nerve ganglia and the brainstem. Clinical manifestations range from vomiting and wasting to ataxia and tremors, with high mortality in piglets under four weeks old. Many herds harbour subclinical infections, with maternal antibodies mitigating disease but complicating surveillance. Advances in molecular diagnostics, cell culture models and immunological assays have deepened understanding of viral entry, host barriers and innate immune responses, informing strategies for detection, prevention and control.
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Neurotropic Viral Infections in Swine Systems publication trend
The graph below shows the total number of articles in neurotropic viral infections in swine systems across all publications each year (not limited to Nature Index journals).
Technical terms
Neurotropism: The property of a virus to infect and replicate within nerve cells and nervous tissue.
Porcine hemagglutinating encephalomyelitis virus (PHEV): A betacoronavirus that causes vomiting, wasting disease and encephalomyelitis in young pigs.
Dipeptidyl peptidase 4 (DPP4): A cell-surface glycoprotein that can act as a receptor for certain coronaviruses, influencing host susceptibility.
Interferon-stimulated genes (ISGs): A set of host genes upregulated by interferon signalling that establish an antiviral state.
References
- Porcine Hemagglutinating Encephalomyelitis Virus: A Review. Frontiers in Veterinary Science (2019).
- Genetic diversity and evolution of porcine hemagglutinating encephalomyelitis virus in Guangxi province of China during 2021–2024. Frontiers in Microbiology (2024).
- Dipeptidyl peptidase 4 interacts with porcine coronavirus PHEV spikes and mediates host range expansion. Journal of Virology (2024).
- Transcriptome Analysis in Air–Liquid Interface Porcine Respiratory Epithelial Cell Cultures Reveals That the Betacoronavirus Porcine Encephalomyelitis Hemagglutinating Virus Induces a Robust Interferon Response to Infection. Viruses (2024).
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