A novel sapelovirus that Iowa State University researchers had not previously encountered was found in microscopic lesions in two pigs’ central nervous tissues. The 11-week-old pigs displayed a polio-like weakness in their hind legs that prevented walking.
Source: Pork Network, October 13, 2016.
Paulo Arruda, an assistant professor of veterinary diagnostic and production animal medicine, said a lack of scientific evidence regarding the virus means it’s impossible to know just how widely it may spread. But the epidemiology of other viruses within its family leads Arruda to believe this particular strain may be fairly common on U.S. hog farms. However, only a small percentage of pigs with the virus likely will display symptoms, he said.