Comparison of the virulence of two isolates of porcine parvovirus in 72-day-old porcine fetuses.

Two strains of porcine parvovirus (PPV), designated Kresse and NADL-8, were compared for relative virulence in porcine fetuses. Strain Kresse was injected into the amniotic fluid of all fetuses of 1 uterine horn of each of 2 pregnant gilts at 72 days of gestation. Strain NADL-8 was administered similarly to fetuses of 4 other gilts at the same stage of gestation. All gilts were killed and necropsied 35 days later. Selected tissues of all fetuses were tested for infectious virus and viral antigen. Sera from live fetuses were tested for antibody to PPV. These tests confirmed that most fetuses exposed to PPV by intra-amniotic injection became infected. All of 11 fetuses exposed to strain Kresse by intra-amniotic injection were alive at the time of necropsy, and all appeared clinically normal. In contrast, 8 of 24 fetuses exposed similarly to strain NADL-8 were dead. Many of the fetuses from the uterine horns contralateral to the uterine horns inoculated with virus were infected after 72 days of gestational age by intrauterine spread of the virus. Four such fetuses, 3 infected with the NADL-8 strain and 1 infected with the Kresse strain, were dead at the time of necropsy. These findings were inconsistent with those of a previous report, which indicated that the Kresse strain of PPV was markedly more virulent than the NADL-8 strain of PPV for porcine fetuses. A possible reason for this apparent discrepancy is discussed.