Genomic and Virulence Investigations of a Novel Porcine Deltacoronavirus Strain Identified in South Korea

Figure 5

Macroscopic and microscopic intestine lesions in piglets inoculated with KNU-1607 (a) or GNU-2105 (b) and in sham control animals (c). Small and large intestines of individual piglets from each group were examined for gross lesions. Representative necropsy images are presented at the top of each panel. Note that piglets inoculated with GNU-2105 typically presented with thin, transparent intestinal walls. Hematoxylin and eosin-stained intestinal tissue sections from representative piglets in each group are shown at the bottom left of each panel (100× magnification, scale bar = 100 µm). Severe villous atrophy can be observed in small intestinal sections of GNU-2105-inoculated piglets. DIF analysis results showing PDCoV antigen in each intestinal tissue section from representative piglets in each group are presented at the bottom right of each panel (200× magnification, scale bar = 50 µm). Immunofluorescence staining of PDCoV N proteins was detected in the epithelial cells of the intestinal sections in piglets inoculated with KNU-1607 and GNU-2105. No PDCoV antigen was identified in the intestine of the mock-inoculated piglets.

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