Survival of classical swine fever virus at various temperatures in faeces and urine derived from experimentally infected pigs

Indirect transmission of classical swine fever virus (CSFV) can occur through contact with mechanical vectors, like clothing and footwear or transport vehicles, contaminated with the secretions or excretions of infected pigs. A prerequisite for indirect transmission is survival of the virus on the mechanical vector. Consequently, to obtain more insight into these transmission routes, it is important to know how long the virus remains viable outside the host. In this study we examined the survival of classical swine fever virus in faeces and urine derived from pigs intranasally inoculated with a highly or moderately virulent CSFV strain. Faeces and urine were collected between days 5 and 36 post-inoculation, and stored at 5, 12, 20, and 30 °C. Next, the virus titres were determined in the samples by virus titration, and a random selection of these samples was also analyzed by quantitative real-time reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (qRRT-PCR) to determine the viral RNA decay. Survival curves were generated, and it was shown that the inactivation rate was inversely related to the storage temperature. Average half-life values were between 2 and 4 days at 5 °C, and between 1 and 3 h at 30 °C. Significant differences were observed in survival between virus strains in faeces, however, not in urine. The reduction in viral RNA during the entire study period was limited. This study provided detailed information on survival of CSFV in excretions of infected pigs, which can be used to improve control measures or risk-analysis models.