Introduction/Background
Rotavirus is one of the common causes of neonatal enteric disease in suckling pigs. It remains a persistent challenge to production due to its high transmissibility, environmental resilience, and genetic diversity. Infection is most common in piglets less than four weeks of age, where it manifests as acute diarrhea, dehydration, reduced weight gain, and, in severe cases, mortality. It is usually self-resolving in 5-7 days for most pigs.
Materials and Methods
The epidemiology of porcine rotavirus can be complex, involving multiple co-circulating species: primarily rotavirus A, B, and C with frequent mixed infections (of one or more or all three). 1,2 These viruses are transmitted via the fecal oral route, and their ability to persist in the environment, coupled with continuous shedding from asymptomatic carriers such as sows, facilitates endemic herd circulation. The antigenic heterogeneity among strains can limit cross-protection and presents a major barrier to effective immunological control.
Control strategies focus on prevention through the reduction of viral exposure in the environment and lactogenic immunity.
Lactogenic immunity is the cornerstone of early protection. Consequently, pre-farrowing vaccination of sows is widely implemented to boost maternal antibody titers. 3,4 However, vaccine efficacy remains inconsistent due to antigenic mismatch between vaccine strains and field isolates and types. Modified live vaccines generally produce stronger and more durable immune responses compared to inactivated vaccines but are only available for Rota A, while next generation vaccines have been very effective in control. Most herds will also include feedback material as well, including piglet scours and intestines from mortalities.
Given these limitations, management and hygiene practices are critical components of rotavirus control. Effective measures include all-in/all-out production systems, rigorous cleaning and disinfection protocols, control of fomites, and minimizing cross-fostering to reduce pathogen transmission between litters especially with clinical signs. Optimizing farrowing house sanitation and ensuring adequate colostrum intake immediately after birth are essential to reducing disease incidence and severity.
Strategies aimed at improving control outcomes include the development of next-generation vaccines with broader antigenic coverage, including multivalent and genotype-matched formulations. Advances in molecular diagnostics and genomic surveillance are enabling better characterization of circulating rotavirus strains, thereby informing vaccine design and epidemiological interventions.
Conclusions and discussion
Effective control of rotavirus in suckling pigs requires a comprehensive and integrated approach that combines maternal immunization, high levels of hygiene, stringent biosecurity, and ongoing surveillance. Addressing the challenges by viral diversity and environmental persistence are essential for reducing the burden of rotavirus-associated disease and improving productivity.
References
Brunner L. (2025) Piglet diarrhea and vaccine efficacy: Observations from the field. Leman Conference Proceedings 2025.
Fu, Z. F., et al. (1990). Transfer of maternal antibody against rotavirus in piglets. Journal of General Virology, 71(10), 2473–2478.
Rossow K. et al. (2012) Rotavirus: Interpretation of diagnostic results. AASV Proceedings 2012, 431-432.
Rybkowska, W., et al. (2025). Prevalence and control strategies of rotavirus in piglets. Pathogens, 14(10), 1055. doi: https://doi.org/10.3390/pathogens14101055