THE PREVALENCE OF HEMAGGLUTINATION-INHIBITION (HI) ANTIBODIES TO INFLUENZA VIRUSES A/SWINE/IOWA/15/30 (H1N1) AND A/SWINE/OBIHIRO/10/85 (H3N2) IN TAIWAN PIGS JULY 1998-MARCH 2000

摘要

Influenza A virus is a zoonotic agent, which can transmit among humans and several animal species and cause severe respiratory symptoms. Pigs play a role of "mixing vessels" for reassortants of avian and human influenza virus with the potential of pandemic. Swine influenza (SI), however, appears to be one of the least investigated infections as far as serological survey in Taiwan are concerned even though it is a common cause of respiratory disease in swine around the world. The first report was described for an epizootic of A/Hong Kong/68-like influenza virus infection [A/swine/Taiwan/7251/70 (H3N2)] among Taiwan swine November 1969-January 1970. Later, a surveillance of human H3N2 virus in swine in Southern Taiwan was conducted between September 1970 and December 1971. Another epidemic of SI related to A/swine/Taiwan/1-8/75 (H1N1) virus was reported in Taiwan on March 1975. Since then only a few of studies and investigations for swine influenza in Taiwan were reported. It, therefore, is interested to find out the current serological prevalence of swine influenza virus infections in Taiwan pigs in this study.