EVALUATION OF BIOSECURITY PROTOCOLS TO PREVENT MECHANICAL TRANSMISSION OF TRANSMISSIBLE GASTRO-ENTERITIS VIRUS OF SWINE BY PORK PRODUCTION UNIT PERSONNEL
by R.M. Alvarez, S.F. Amass, C.D. Anderson, D. Ragland, L.A. Grote, C.A. Dowell, L.K. Clark, G.W. Stevenson and P.M. Spicer

Abstract
Two biosecurity regimens were tested for their ability to prevent mechanical transmission of transmissible gastro-enteritis virus of swine (TGEV) by people. One-hundred-and-twenty-five, four-week-old pigs, serologically negative for TGEV were randomly allocated to five isolation rooms at Purdue University. Twenty pigs in one room were inoculated with TGEV (Group A). One caretaker moved from inoculated pigs to rooms of susceptible pigs without using biosecurity procedures (Group B), after hand washing and changing outerwear (Group C), or after showering and changing outerwear (Group D). The caretaker was in direct contact with pigs and their secretions and excretions for 10 minutes, twice daily, for 15 days. Negative controls were cared for by a separate caretaker (Group E).
???? Inoculated pigs and pigs cared for without using biosecurity procedures developed clinical signs of TGEV infection. Pigs cared for after hand washing and changing outerwear or showering and changing outerwear, and negative control pigs all remained clinically normal and tested negative for TGEV. Under conditions of this study, a caretaker acted as a mechanical vector for the transmission of TGEV. Washing hands and changing into clean outerwear or showering and changing into clean outerwear, after being in contact with TGEV-infected pigs, prevented mechanical transmission of TGEV to susceptible pigs.

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