Serologic evidence of H1 swine Influenza virus infection in swine farm residents and employees

Emerg Infect Dis. 2002 Aug;8(8):814-9. doi: 10.3201/eid0808.010474.

Abstract

We evaluated seropositivity to swine and human H1 influenza viruses in 74 swine farm owners, employees, their family members, and veterinarians in rural south-central Wisconsin, compared with 114 urban Milwaukee, Wisconsin, residents. The number of swine farm participants with positive serum hemagglutination-inhibition (HI) antibody titers > or = 40 to swine influenza viruses (17/74) was significantly higher (p<0.001) than the number of seropositive urban control samples (1/114). The geometric mean serum HI antibody titers to swine influenza viruses were also significantly higher (p<0.001) among the farm participants. Swine virus seropositivity was significantly (p<0.05) associated with being a farm owner or a farm family member, living on a farm, or entering the swine barn > or = 4 days/week. Because pigs can play a role in generating genetically novel influenza viruses, swine farmers may represent an important sentinel population to evaluate the emergence of new pandemic influenza viruses.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
  • Research Support, U.S. Gov't, P.H.S.

MeSH terms

  • Adolescent
  • Adult
  • Animals
  • Antibodies, Viral / blood
  • Carrier State / immunology
  • Carrier State / transmission
  • Carrier State / veterinary
  • Child
  • Hemagglutination Inhibition Tests
  • Humans
  • Influenza A virus / immunology
  • Influenza A virus / isolation & purification*
  • Influenza, Human / immunology
  • Influenza, Human / transmission*
  • Influenza, Human / veterinary*
  • Influenza, Human / virology
  • Middle Aged
  • Serologic Tests
  • Surveys and Questionnaires
  • Swine / virology*
  • Swine Diseases / transmission*
  • Swine Diseases / virology*
  • Zoonoses / transmission
  • Zoonoses / virology

Substances

  • Antibodies, Viral