Characterization of a parvovirus isolated from the diarrheic feces of a pig.

A small DNA virus was isolated from the feces of a sow with diarrhea and identified as a parvovirus on the basis of its properties. The virus replicated preferentially in cell cultures of swine origin, including primary porcine thyroid gland and kidney cell cultures in which the cytopathic effect developed. The virus agglutinated erythrocytes of guinea pig, mouse and human group O but not these of chicken. The growth of the virus was inhibited by 5-iodo-2'-deoxyuridine. The virus was resistant to ether and heating at 56 degrees C for 30 min and stable at pH 3.0. The buoyant density of the infectious particles was 1.40 g/ml in CsCl density gradient, and the virions were 27 nm in diameter by electron microscopy. The viral protein seemed to be separated into four polypeptides with molecular weights of 81k, 70k, 66k and 62k daltons respectively. Cross serum neutralization test demonstrated that the virus was antigenically different from porcine parvovirus as well as bovine and canine parvoviruses. These findings and the survey on neutralizing antibody distribution indicated indirectly that another parvovirus which could be antigenically distinguished from well-known porcine parvovirus had been widespread among swine in Japan.