Prevalence of Linda Virus Neutralizing Antibodies in the Austrian Pig Population
Alexandra Kiesler,
Jakob Plankensteiner,
Lukas Schwarz,
Christiane Riedel,
Kerstin Seitz,
Marlene Mötz,
Andrea Ladinig,
Benjamin Lamp,
Till Rümenapf
Affiliations
Alexandra Kiesler
Department for Pathobiology, Institute of Virology, University of Veterinary Medicine, Veterinaerplatz 1, 1210 Vienna, Austria
Jakob Plankensteiner
Department for Pathobiology, Institute of Virology, University of Veterinary Medicine, Veterinaerplatz 1, 1210 Vienna, Austria
Lukas Schwarz
Department for Farm Animals and Veterinary Public Health, University Clinic for Swine, University of Veterinary Medicine, Veterinaerplatz 1, 1210 Vienna, Austria
Christiane Riedel
Department for Pathobiology, Institute of Virology, University of Veterinary Medicine, Veterinaerplatz 1, 1210 Vienna, Austria
Kerstin Seitz
Department for Pathobiology, Institute of Virology, University of Veterinary Medicine, Veterinaerplatz 1, 1210 Vienna, Austria
Marlene Mötz
Department for Pathobiology, Institute of Virology, University of Veterinary Medicine, Veterinaerplatz 1, 1210 Vienna, Austria
Andrea Ladinig
Department for Farm Animals and Veterinary Public Health, University Clinic for Swine, University of Veterinary Medicine, Veterinaerplatz 1, 1210 Vienna, Austria
Benjamin Lamp
Institute of Virology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Justus-Liebig-University Giessen, Schubertstrasse 81, 35392 Giessen, Germany
Till Rümenapf
Department for Pathobiology, Institute of Virology, University of Veterinary Medicine, Veterinaerplatz 1, 1210 Vienna, Austria
A novel pestivirus species, termed Lateral-shaking Inducing Neuro-Degenerative Agent virus (LindaV), was discovered in a piglet-producing farm in Austria in 2015 related to severe congenital tremor cases. Since the initial outbreak LindaV has not been found anywhere else. In this study, we determined the seroprevalence of LindaV infections in the domestic pig population of Austria. A fluorophore labeled infectious cDNA clone of LindaV (mCherry-LindaV) was generated and used in serum virus neutralization (SVN) assays for the detection of LindaV specific neutralizing antibodies in porcine serum samples. In total, 637 sera from sows and gilts from five federal states of Austria, collected between the years 2015 and 2020, were analyzed. We identified a single serum showing a high neutralizing antibody titer, that originated from a farm (Farm S2) in the proximity of the initially affected farm. The analysis of 57 additional sera from Farm S2 revealed a wider spread of LindaV in this pig herd. Furthermore, a second LindaV strain originating from this farm could be isolated in cell culture and was further characterized at the genetic level. Possible transmission routes and virus reservoir hosts of this emerging porcine virus need to be addressed in future studies.
