Association between diarrhoea and shedding of group A and atypical groups B to E rotaviruses in suckling pigs.

The frequency of shedding of rotavirus in faeces of diarrhoeic piglets was studied in 2 farms. In farm I, where 82% of the litters had diarrhoea, group A rotavirus was detected in 52/117 (44%) faeces of pigs with diarrhoea while atypical groups B to E rotaviruses were detected in 2/117 (2%) faeces of diarrhoeic piglets that came from litters where group A rotavirus had also been found. In farm II where the morbidity due to diarrhoeas was lower (57% of the litters had diarrhoea), 8/141 (6%) faeces of piglets with diarrhoea had group A rotavirus and 4/141 (3%) had groups B to E atypical rotaviruses. It was concluded that group A and groups B to E rotaviruses can coexist in the same farm but group A rotavirus seems to induce more diarrhoeas in piglets.