Secretory Antibodies in Milk of Swine Against Transmissible Gastroenteritis Virus

Abstract

Transmissible gastroenteritis (TGE) of swine is a highly contagious, enteric, viral disease characterized by severe diarrhea and high mortality in pigs under 2 weeks of age. TGE virus primarily infects the epithelial cells of the small intestine, resulting in an atrophy of the villi and a mal absorption syndrome (1). We have previously reported that TGE antibodies were primarily of the IgA class in milk from sows which had been exposed orally to virulent virus, but were primarily of the IgG class in those exposed parenterally to live attenuated virus (2, 3,4) Also, passive immunity against intestinal infection was more closely associated with milk antibodies of the IgA than the IgG class. The present paper provides additional information, with emphasis on the contrasting features of the antibody response in animals which were orally versus intramammarily exposed to virulent TGE virus.