Japanese encephalitis virus outbreak in Australian pigs
Abstract
An incursion of Japanese encephalitis virus disease has been identified as commencing in north-eastern Australia in April 2021, resulting in prolonged gestation length, mummified and stillborn piglets, often with severe fetal abnormalities and congenital tremors. The disease has been recognised to have occurred on nearly 80 farms over an 18-month period with some seasonal impacts and large mosquito numbers afflicting farms. There have been no obvious clinical problems in piglets, weaners, grow/finishing or adult pigs.
The organism is zoonotic and caused clinical infection in nearly 40 people and sadly resulted in the death of five people. None of the people showing clinical signs had contact with the pig industry. No one involved in the pig industry or students handling potentially infected tissues showed any clinical signs of disease.
An incursion of Japanese encephalitis virus disease has been identified as commencing in North-eastern Australia from April 2021 (Carr, personal observation), resulting in prolonged gestation length, mummified and stillborn piglets, often with severe fetal abnormalities and congenital tremors (van Dissel et al, 2022). The disease has been recognised to have occurred on nearly 80 farms over an 18 months period with some seasonal impacts and large mosquito numbers afflicting farms. The virus is transmitted by mosquitos to pigs; there is possible transmission between pigs. There have been no obvious clinical signs seen in nursery to adult pigs (Australian Government Department of Health, 2022a).
The virus causing Japanese encephalitis is zoonotic and has caused clinical infection in 40 people (Australian Government Department of health, 2022), resulting in the death of at least five people. None of the people showing clinical signs had any contact with the pig industry. No one involved in the pig industry or students handling potentially infected tissues showed any clinical signs of the disease. There is no evidence of Japanese encephalitis virus transmission between pigs and people, only via mosquitoes.
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