The Colostrum-Deprived, Artificially Reared Neonatal Pig as a Model Animal for Studying Rotavirus Gastroenteritis

Abstract

Rotavirus gastroenteritis is one of the main causes of acute diarrhea in young humans and animals worldwide. The colostrum-deprived, artificially reared neonatal pig has been extensively used in our laboratory as a model animal for studying an experimentally induced rotaviral gastroenteritis. Details on procurement of newborn pigs, immunologic characteristics, and artificial rearing conditions of colostrum-deprived neonatal pigs as well as on rotavirus inoculation, clinical manifestations, and evaluation of intestinal damage caused by rotavirus infection are described. Our experimentally induced rotavirus gastroenteritis model has been characterized clinically by anorexia, diarrhea, occasional vomiting, and high titers of rotavirus shedding in feces. Data reported here provide additional information, particularly on feeding regimens of pigs before rotavirus inoculation, extent of anorexia, severity of diarrhea, and extent of fecal virus shedding, as well as on the effect of rotavirus infection and size of rotavirus inocula on intestinal damage, growth, and mortality during the postinfection period. On the basis of these results and others previously reported by us and by other researchers, and because of the intestinal anatomy and physiology similarities to that of human infants, the colostrum-deprived, artificially reared neonatal pig is the most suitable and useful model animal for studies designed to evaluate prevention and treatment of rotaviral gastroenteritis.