Abstract
Group A rotaviruses (GARV) are a significant cause of enteritis in young pigs. The aim of this study was to extend our understanding of the molecular epidemiology of porcine GARV in the UK by investigating the genetic diversity of GARV on a conventional farrow-to-finish farm. Faecal samples were obtained from six batches of pigs in 2009 and 8 batches in 2010, when the pigs were 2, 3 (time point omitted in 2009), 4, 5, 6 and 8 weeks of age. Presence of rotavirus was detected by reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) in 89% and 80% of samples from 2009 and 2010, respectively. A combination of multiplex PCRs and sequencing identified four VP7 genotypes (G2, G3, G4 and G5) and three VP4 genotypes (P[6], P[7] and P[32]) present in almost every combination over the 2 years. The predominant genotype combination was G5P[32] in 2009 and G4P[32] in 2010. Conservation among the P[32] sequences between 2009 and 2010 suggests that reassortment may have led to the different genotype combinations. There were significant changes in the predominant VP7 genotype prior to weaning at 4 weeks, and post weaning when pigs were moved to a different building. Phylogenetic analysis indicated that introduction of new viruses onto the farm was limited. Taken together, these findings suggest that genetically diverse GARV strains persist within the farm environment.
Highlights
Rotavirus is a major cause of viral gastroenteritis in pigs worldwide
Rotaviruses are classified into eight groups (A–H) based on antigenic relationships of VP6, one of the six structural virus proteins (Matthijnssens et al, 2012)
Porcine-specific multiplex PCRs for VP7 genotypes G2, G4 and G5 and VP4 genotypes P[7] and P[32] were developed for this study
Summary
Rotavirus is a major cause of viral gastroenteritis in pigs worldwide. It has a significant economic impact on pig production as a result of the morbidity and mortality caused. In addition to the economic importance of GARV in pigs, there is potential for zoonotic transmission to humans (Martella et al, 2006; Steyer et al, 2008 Zhou et al, 2015). Rotaviruses are classified into G and P types based on differences in the outer capsid proteins VP7 (a glycoprotein) and VP4 (a protease-sensitive protein), respectively. These proteins contain epitopes that induce neutralising antibodies. In addition to antigenic drift arising from the accumulation of point mutations, variation can arise due to reassortment of gene segments if the host cells are co-infected with different viral genotypes
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