Virus Isolation and Immune Responses in Susceptible Swine Exposed with Pseudorabies Virus (Shope Strain)

Eighteen seronegative swine weighing from 9 to 11 kg were exposed intranasally with the Shope strain of pseudorabies virus (PRV) and were observed for 21 days in an experiment to detect virus shedding and immune responses. All swine had PRV in their nasal passages at 7 days after exposure; they also had precipitating antibodies to PRV as determined by the microimmunodiffusion test (MIDT) and very low levels of virus-neutralizing (VN) antibodies. The PRV was isolated from only 2 swine at postexposure day 14; all swine were MIDT positive, and VN titers ranged from 4 to 128. Virus was not isolated from the swine at 21 days after exposure, but all were MIDT positive; VN titers ranged between 8 and greater than or equal to 256.