AEROSOL TRANSMISSION OF A VIABLE VIRUS AFFECTING SWINE - EXPLANATION OF AN EPIZOOTIC OF PSEUDORABIES

A Gaussian diffusion model was applied to an epizootic of pseudorabies in ten swine herds located in Decatur County, Indiana, USA to test th e hypothesis that the virus can be spread via aerosol. The epizootic o ccurred during January to March, 1988, spreading through ten farms acr oss an area of about 150 km2. The model included a receptor component that provided an estimate of viruses received by the pig within an enc losed barn. Results show that the diffusion model can explain the spre ad of the virus during the epizootic for all nine farms to which the v irus spread.