Detection of rotavirus antigen in diarrhoeic and non-diarrhoeic piglets in Nigeria

Abstract

Faecal samples from 96 piglets with acute gastroenteritis and 41 samples from non-diarrhoeic piglets were investigated for porcine rotavirus (PRV) antigens by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). PRV was detected in 43 of 96 (44.8 %) in the diarrhoeic group whereas none of the samples in the non-diarrhoeic group was positive for PRV (P < 0.01). Age distribution of infection showed a higher infection rate of 30.2 % in piglets aged 1-3 weeks, which was significantly higher (P < 0.05) than in piglets aged 4-6 weeks, where the infection rate was 14.6 percent. No PRV antigen was detected in diarrhoeic piglets above 6 weeks of age. Titration of 10 randomly selected ELISA-positive samples showed titres ranging from 512 to ≥ 4096.