How swine flu affects pigs

Washington, May 12 (ANI): Studying the effects of the H1N1 strain of swine flu on a group of piglets, scientists at Bangkok-based Chulalongkorn University recently found all infected animals to show flu-like symptoms between one and four days after infection, and to shed the virus two days after infection.

Led researcher Roongroje Thanawongnuwech revealed that he infected 22-day old pigs with both the H1N1 strain of swine flu and the less dangerous H3N2 subtype.

He said: "The results demonstrated that both swine flu subtypes were able to induce flu-like symptoms and lung lesions in weanling pigs. However the severity of the disease with regard to both gross and microscopic lung lesions was greater in the H1N1-infected pigs".

All infected pigs developed respiratory symptoms such as nasal discharge, coughing, sneezing and conjunctivitis.

Upon pathological examination, lung lesions large enough to be seen by the naked eye were observed.

Thanawongnuwech said: "These lesions were characterized by dark plum-colored, consolidated areas on lung lobes and were most severe two days after infection, especially in the H1N1-infected pigs, where approximately a third of the lung was covered".

The course of infection was limited to less than a week, and none of the animals died.

A research article on the study has been published in BioMed Central's open access Virology Journal. (ANI)