Persistent hog cholera infection detected during virulence typing of 135 field isolates.

During the hog cholera (HC) eradication program in the United States, 135 field isolates were characterized by inoculation into specific-pathogen-free pigs. This gave origin to the classification of 61 (45%) as high virulent, 37 (27%) as low virulent, 29 (22%) as avirulent or immunizing, and 8 (6%) as capable of causing persistent infection. The persistent infections caused by the eight isolates were of long durtion, lasting in one instance to 152 days. The persistently infected pigs remained relatively free of clinical signs of HC but had high concentrations of HC virus (HCV) in their blood. When 6 of these pigs were given a second inoculation (with the virulent Ames strain of HCV), 2 died while the health status of 4 remained unchanged.