Manager of viral diagnostics laboratory – Method establishment, Diagnosis, and Consulting

Current research topics: Equine Coronavirus (ECoV), Rotavirus C (RVC)

Rotavirus C (RVC) is one of the most commonly detected viral pathogens in causing diarrhea in suckling pigs. Despite having a similar name to Rotavirus A, they are two different virus species, and differentiation between the viruses is only possible with various molecular analyses. 

In farms infected with RVC, a very high percentage of suckling piglets may suffer from severe diarrhea just days after birth. Despite the acute illness, the animals recover quickly and the economic losses are usually limited. Nonetheless, a differential diagnostic assessment is essential in determining whether vaccination measures (RVA) or biosecurity measures (PEDV) are necessary, as with any diarrheal pathogen.

Equine Coronaviruses (ECoV) are the causative agents of outbreaks of a febrile disease of adult horses in the USA and Japan. In Austria and in the rest of Europe the virus remains relatively unknown to veterinarians.

In 2013, the virus was detected for the first time in Austria during an outbreak in a horse population. Since 2018, the number of confirmed cases have increased, and are often associated with fever, inappetence, fatigue and less often with diarrhea and colic.

Virus is shed in the feces of sick animals, but also asymptomatic animals may be infectious. Detection and diagnosis relies on testing fecal samples by real-time RT-PCR; nasal swabs and blood samples are less suitable for virus detection.