The clinical response of gnotobiotic calves, pigs and lambs to inoculation with human, calf, pig and foal rotavirus isolates.

The infectivity, pathogenicity and immunogenicity of 5 human, 6 calf, 2 pig and 2 foal rotavirus isolates were studied in gnotobiotic calves, piglets and lambs. Three of the human isolated produced subclinical infection in newborn gnotobiotic piglets and the piglets developed neutralising antirotavirus antibody. When challenged with pig rotavirus 2 weeks later, the piglets did not develop diarrhoea, but rotavirus was detected in the faeces. In contrast, piglets inoculated with the other 2 human isolates failed to show evidence of infection and there was no specific antibody detected. These piglets developed diarrhoea when challenged 2 weeks later with pig rotavirus. The 4 human isolated failed to infect gnotobiotic calves an lambs.