Determinação de rotavírus em suínos em uma granja do Rio Grande do Sul

Abstract

Diarrhea, in newborn animals, is a morbid disease that exists worldwide; rotaviruses have been considered one of the main causes of gastroenteritis of viral origin, especially in countries where pig farming is intensively explored. The objective of this study was to extend the knowledge about the incidence of rotavirus in pigs, using the latex agglutination test (LAT) and polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (PAGE). This work analyzed 329 samples of diarrheic piglets between March 2007 and March 2008, from a farm in a municipality in Serra Gaúcha. Using LAT, for identification the Rotavirus Latex® kit, 11.6% (38/329) of the samples were considered positive, and, using PAGE, 7.9% (26/329) were positive. LAT was considered more sensitive than PAGE in the detection of rotaviruses, showing a sensitivity of 88.4% and a specificity of 95%, positive predictive value of 60.5%, negative predictive value of 99% and a correlation of 94.5%. The molecular characterization of the positive samples identified only the G5 genotype and a long electrophoretic profile in EGPA as the only type of rotavirus circulating in the pig herd. Neither samples with mixed genotype nor multiple infections were identified, and the seasonal distribution of the virus on this farm had higher incidence during the coldest month.