Pathogenesis of in utero infection: experimental infection of eight- and ten-week-old porcine fetuses with porcine parvovirus.

Selected numbers of fetuses in each of 4 pregnant gilts were exposed to a porcine parvovirus by injecting the virus into the allantoic fluid at gestation day 56 or 70. The fetuses were examined on postexposure day 7 or 14. When pregnancy was terminated, 2 of 15 exposed fetuses were dead. Several fetuses tested at post-exposure day 14 had hemagglutination-inhibiting antibodies to porcine parvovirus. Virus was detected most frequently and in highest concentration in the parenchymatous organs of thorax and abdomen of fetuses exposed on gestation day 56. A small amount of antigen was in neurons and capillary endothelium of cerebral and cerebellar cortexes.