CULTIVATION OF THE HOG CHOLERA VIRUS

Area of Science:

• Veterinary Virology
• Animal Pathology

Background:

• Hog cholera virus (HCV) is a significant pathogen in swine populations.
• Previous research by Hecke explored HCV cultivation, but further confirmation and optimization were needed.

Purpose of the Study:

• To confirm and expand upon Hecke's work on cultivating hog cholera virus.
• To evaluate different methods for virus propagation and assess the virulence of cultured virus.

Main Methods:

• Virus cultivation in flasks with Tyrode solution and swine testicle.
• Propagation on the chorioallantoic membrane of embryonated eggs.
• Cultivation on swine serum agar.
• Virulence testing via swine inoculation and neutralization with commercial anti-hog cholera serum.

Main Results:

• Hog cholera virus was successfully cultivated through multiple passages using swine testicle in flasks (14 transfers), on embryonated eggs (13 transfers), and on swine serum agar (26 transfers total).
• The cultured virus induced characteristic hog cholera in swine and was neutralized by commercial anti-hog cholera serum.
• No significant attenuation was observed; the cultured virus remained highly virulent.
• The swine serum agar method yielded larger amounts of virus suspension with less labor, making it the preferred method.

Conclusions:

• Hog cholera virus can be readily cultivated using swine testicle as a growth medium.
• Cultured virus retains its virulence and can be effectively neutralized by existing serum treatments.
• The swine serum agar method is efficient for producing large quantities of active hog cholera virus, potentially reducing costs for vaccination and hyperimmunization.