A new scientific article, titled "Swine influenza surveillance in Italy uncovers regional and farm-based genetic clustering", has been published by Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale delle Venezie as part of the Horizon Europe PAIR project.
Swine influenza (swIAV) is a respiratory disease endemic in pigs, with major implications for both animal and public health. As pigs can act as "mixing vessels" for human, avian, and swine influenza strains, they play a crucial role in viral reassortment and in the emergence of novel variants with pandemic potential.
The study investigates swIAV circulation in northern Italy, analysing more than 3,000 samples collected through passive surveillance from 253 swine farms between 2013 and 2022. During the first year and a half of the PAIR project, swIAV isolates were genetically characterised, while laboratory tests assessed antigenic cross-reactivity between circulating subtypes.
The results revealed that 37.9% of the farms tested positive for swIAV at least once during the surveillance period. Researchers identified twelve distinct viral genotypes, including two that had never been reported before in Italy, both detected in 2022. Genetic analyses also showed strong correlations between viruses circulating in farms belonging to the same owner or located in close proximity, with multiple new introductions and reassortment events observed. Furthermore, antigenic testing demonstrated minimal cross-reactivity among circulating strains, underscoring the challenge of controlling the spread of such a diverse viral population.
These findings reveal a high genetic diversity of swIAV in northern Italy, driven by multiple introductions and reassortment events. The identification of two novel genotypes stresses the importance of continuous surveillance and genetic monitoring, which aligns with the PAIR project's mission to strengthen pandemic preparedness through animal and zoonotic disease surveillance.
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