The Swine Health Information Center has launched an investigation following the identification of a new virus in the genus of Morbillivirus. In 2020, while investigating reports of fetal death, encephalitis and some abortions of litters in a swine herd in Mexico, staff of Iowa State University's Veterinary Diagnostic Lab identified a novel Morbillivirus, a cousin to Canine Distemper, and named it porcine morbillivirus.
Swine Health Information Center Executive Director Dr. Paul Sundberg says, as a result SHIC is investigating the metagenomic sequencing of the virus, its infectivity and pathogenicity and potential diagnostic methods.
Clip-Dr. Paul Sundberg-Swine Health Information Center:
We don't really know a whole lot yet. What we know is the clinical signs on the farm itself. There were reproductive signs which included the fetal deaths and abortions. It included encephalitis in young pigs, which was an interesting find so it was not only just in reproductive issues but included some encephalitis in young pigs and that's really about all we know about it so far.