The pig as an amplifying host for new and emerging zoonotic viruses

Abstract

Pig production is a rapidly growing segment of the global livestock sector, especially in Asia and Africa. Expansion and intensification of pig production has resulted in significant changes to traditional pig husbandry practices leading to an environment conducive to increased emergence and spread of infectious diseases. These include a number of zoonotic viruses including influenza, Japanese encephalitis, Nipah and coronaviruses. Pigs are known to independently facilitate the creation of novel reassortant influenza A virus strains, capable of causing pandemics. Moreover, pigs play a role in the amplification of Japanese encephalitis virus, transmitted by mosquito vectors found in areas inhabited by over half the world's human population. Furthermore, pigs acted as an amplifying host in the first and still most severe outbreak of Nipah virus in Malaysia, that necessitated the culling over 1 million pigs. Finally, novel porcine coronaviruses are being discovered in high pig-density countries which have pandemic potential. In this review, we discuss the role that pigs play as intermediate/amplifying hosts for zoonotic viruses with pandemic potential and consider how multivalent vaccination of pigs could in turn safeguard human health.

Keywords: Amplifying host; Intermediate host; Pandemic; Pig; Viruses; Zoonosis.