Detection of group a rotavirus and histopathological studies in diarrheic piglets of Kamrup district, Assam

Porcine group A rotavirus (PoRVA) is a major cause of neonatal diarrhea in suckling and recently weaned piglets worldwide. Rota viral diarrhoea is an important cause of morbidity and mortality in the neonates of pigs. The present study was carried out to determine the prevalence of rotavirus infection among piglets of organized and unorganized pig farms in Kamrup district of Assam. During the present study 107 diarrheic faecal samples from different pig farms of Kamrup district of Assam were collected. The collected samples were screened for the presenceof rotavirus antigen by Immunochromatographic assay and RT-PCR. Of the 107 diarrheic samples, 20 (18.7%) were found to be positive for rotavirus Group A antigen by monoclonal based immunochromatographic assay. All the diarrheic samples found positive for the viral antigen by immunochromatographic assay were also analyzed by RT-PCR and 14 (13.1%) samples were found to be positive. The histopathological studies in the intestinal tissue samples of 12 piglets died of diarrhoea showed atrophy of villous in the small intestine along with sloughing of mucosae. Scanning Electron Microscopy analysis of intestinal tissues confirmed replication of rotaviruses in the villous enterocytes resulting in villous atrophy.