Prevalence of influenza viruses A-H1N1 and A-H3N2 in swine in the Netherlands.

In the period December 1979-May 1980 a respiratory disease spread rapidly through pig herds in The Netherlands. Surveillance of 12 pig farms resulted in isolation of 22 influenza A-Swine-H1N1 (Hsw1N1) strains from 9 pig herds. The morbidity rate was high but the mortality rate was nil. Retardation in growth was observed. Sera collected from affected pig herds showed a fourfold increase in haemagglutination inhibition (HI) titre against A-Swine-H1N1 virus. Sera collected on five farms showed a geometric mean HI titre against the A-H3N2 virus above 100. A significant HI titre increase against this virus was found in sera collected on three farms. These findings indicated a recent infection by this virus. A-H3N2 virus was not isolated. The Dutch Swine-1980 isolates showed in the cross-HI test a distant antigenic relationship with the classical A/Swine/Iowa/30 (H1N1) virus and one-sided close antigenic relationship with A/New Jersey/76 (H1N1) virus. HI antibody to A/Swine/Nederland/80 (H1N1) virus was found in 4, 0, and 44%, to A/New Jersey/76 (H1N1) virus in 0.5, 0.4, and 42%, and to A/Swine/Iowa/30 (H1N1) virus in 0.5, 1, and 30% of pig sera collected in 1976, 1977, and 1980, respectively. HI antibody to A/Hong Kong/68 (H3N2) virus was detected in 36, 56, and 68%, and to A/Victoria/75 (H3N2) virus in 38, 73, and 68% of these sera, respectively. The results of this study indicate that pigs in The Netherlands, like those in North America, Southeast Asia, Japan, and Western Europe harbour A-Swine-H1N1 and A-H3N2 influenza viruses and are thus potential reservoirs for future human pandemics.