Probable pig to duck transmission of the pandemic H1N1 2009 (pH1N1) and its reassortant in commingling experimental condition

Abstract

Pandemic H1N1 2009 (pH1N1) virus is considered as a low pathogenic influenza virus, however, it rapidly spread among humans and was finally found in the swine population of 6 continents. Interspecies transmissions among different animal species are of interest. In this study, sentinel ducks were commingled with pH1N1 or pandemic H1N1 reassortment virus (rH1N1) inoculated pigs in separate groups. According to the results, both studied viruses were able to cross-species transmit to a few sentinel ducks with mild or no clinical signs. Viral shedding measured by a modified real time RT-PCR detection from the oropharyngeal and cloacal swabs were also observed in both studied viruses. Interestingly, ducks commingled with pH1N1-infected pigs showed higher number of infected ducks detected by viral shedding in cloacal swabs. This present study suggested that pH1N1 and rH1N1 were able to transmit from pigs to ducks but viral replication in ducks were limited. As a result clinical signs were not obvious and low levels of viral shedding were detected in both sentinel duck groups.