Molecular Characteristics and Pathogenicity of Porcine Reproductive and Respiratory Syndrome Virus (PRRSV) 1 in Taiwan during 2019-2020

• Published in: Life (Basel, Switzerland) Vol. 13; no. 3; p. 843
• Main Authors: Hsueh, Fu-Chun, Kuo, Kun-Lin, Hsu, Feng-Yang, Wang, Sheng-Yuan, Chiu, Hsien-Jen, Wu, Meng-Tien, Lin, Chuen-Fu, Huang, Yu-Han, Chiou, Ming-Tang, Lin, Chao-Nan
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Switzerland MDPI AG 01.03.2023; MDPI
• Subjects: Amino acids; Analysis; Animal diseases; Antibodies; Antigenic determinants; Causes of; challenge experiment; Codon; Epidemics; Epitopes; Evolution; Farms; Genetic aspects; Genetic diversity; Hogs; Identification and classification; Immunization; Nurseries; Pathogenicity; Pathogens; phylogenetic analysis; Phylogenetics; Porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome; Pork industry; PRRSV 1; Respiratory diseases; RNA viruses; Strains (organisms); Swine; Taiwan; Vaccines; Variance analysis; Viral diseases; Viruses; Eastern Europe; Taiwan; Spain; United States > US; challenge experiment; phylogenetic analysis; PRRSV 1; Taiwan
• ISSN: 2075-1729; 2075-1729
• DOI: 10.3390/life13030843

Two variants of porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome virus (PRRSV), PRRSV 1 and PRRSV 2, have caused abortion in pregnant sows and respiratory distress in nursery pigs worldwide. PRRSV 2 has been thoroughly researched in Taiwan since 1993; however, the first case of PRRSV 1 was not reported until late 2018. To decipher the genetic characteristics of PRRSV 1 in Taiwan, open reading frame 5 (ORF5) genes of PRRSV 1 strains collected from 11 individual pig farms in 2019-2020 were successfully sequenced. All Taiwanese ORF5 sequences were closely related to Spanish-like PRRSV strains, which are considered to share a common evolutionary origin with the strain used for the PRRSV 1 vaccine. Analyses of amino acid (aa) and non-synonymous substitutions showed that genetic variations resulted in numerously specific codon mutations scattered across the neutralizing epitopes within the ORF5 gene. The PRRSV 1 challenge experiment disclosed the pathogenetic capability of the NPUST2789 isolate in nursery pigs. These findings provide comprehensive knowledge of the molecular diversity of the PRRSV 1 variant in local Taiwanese fields and facilitate the development of suitable immunization programs against this disease.