An infectious zoonotic disease that can be deadly to pigs is easily transmitted between swine and poultry, according to a new study published in the journal, Emerging Infectious Diseases.
Porcine deltacoronavirus may also infect humans, although it’s still too early to know for certain, the Ohio State University researchers cautioned. However, the virus cannot be transmitted to humans by consumption if the meat is properly cooked.
“Viruses, especially RNA viruses, are very susceptible to killing outside of the house. If you process chicken and cook it to an appropriate temperature based on USDA guidelines, there's very little chance of illness passing on to a person from eating,” explained senior author Scott Kenney, assistant professor of veterinary preventive medicine based in Ohio State’s Food Animal Health Research Program at the Ohio Agricultural Research and Development Center (OARDC).
Coronoviruses
Porcine deltacoronavirus is part of a family of single-stranded RNA viruses – called coronaviruses – that cause respiratory and gastrointestinal diseases in the species they infect. Coronaviruses are currently in the news because of the outbreak of a betacoronavirus in Wuhan, China. On Tuesday, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) confirmed the first U.S. case of the disease in Everett, Washington.
The porcine deltacoronavirus studied was first detected in Asia in pigs in 2009. In 2014, researchers discovered a small outbreak on U.S. swine farms.
The study
In the study, 14-day-old specified pathogen free birds developed symptoms of the disease two days after they were exposed to the feces of infected pigs. Healthy birds that were housed with infected animals developed diarrhea two days after exposure.
“In the turkeys, we could actually see the gross pathology when we performed a necropsy on the animals. We could see pockets of gas and other things that shouldn't be there in normal gastrointestinal tracts. Chickens didn’t seem to have as many signs,” Kenney added.
Kenney recommends that poultry facilities follow strict biocontainment procedures to restrict the follow of porcine deltacoronavirus and other infectious diseases.
“The best way to prevent viral spread is through good hygiene,” he said. “On the farmer side, make sure you know where the people who are coming onto your farm are coming from.”
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