Porcine epidemic diarrhea virus (PEDV) spread rapidly after being diagnosed for the first time in the US in April of 2013.1 Although PEDV infection among pigs occurs predominantly by the fecal-oral route, airborne transmission among farms was suspected in certain geographical areas but it was unclear whether PEDV could be airborne. Other important pathogens, influenza A virus (IAV) and porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome virus (PRRSV), are capable to transmit via aerosols. However, there are limited strategies to mitigate airborne transmission in pigs. Among these strategies, the electrostatic particle ionization (EPI) system has demonstrated to significantly remove dust particles from the air. This air cleaning technology has the potential to reduce airborne pathogens because of its ability to clump and settle airborne particles. Based in these premises, the objectives of this study were:a) to determine whether infectious PEDV could be detected in air samples under experimental conditions; andb) to evaluate whether the EPI system could reduce the quantity and viability of airborne PRRSV, IAV and PEDV in aerosols generated by acutely infected pigs.
展开▼
