ARS | Publication request: Porcine bocaviruses: genetic analysis and prevalence in Chinese swine population

Submitted to: Epidemiology and Infection
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: April 14, 2011
Publication Date: October 1, 2011
Citation: Zhang, H.B., Huang, L., Lin, T., Sun, C.Q., Deng, Y., Wei, Z.Z., Cheung, A.K., Long, J.X., Yuan, S.S. 2011. Porcine bocaviruses: genetic analysis and prevalence in Chinese swine population. Epidemiology and Infection. 139(10):1581-1586.

Interpretive Summary: Porcine circovirus type 2 (PCV2) is an important viral pathogen of swine and it is the main culprit of several swine health problems collectively known as PCV-associated diseases (PCVAD). PCV2-afflicted animals when co-infected with other pathogens usually exhibit a more severe form of the disease. Previously, we identified a novel porcine parvovirus, designated PPV4, among the sick animals of the 2005 USA PCVAD outbreak. Our analysis revealed that PPV4 belongs to the Bocavirus genus of the Parvovirinae subfamily and exhibits several distinct characteristics. Here, we showed that porcine bocaviruses are prevalent in the Chinese swine population. Thus, this work provides a frame wok to investigate the inter-relationship between PCV2 and porcine bocaviruses and their pathogenesis potentials. The information obtained will advance our understanding of porcine circovirus and parvovirus biology and aid the research of scientists in industry, universities and government agencies.

Technical Abstract: Among members of the Bocavirus genus, that contain three open reading frames (ORFs), of the Parvovirinae subfamily, porcine bocaviruses (PoBoVs) exhibit the most genetic diversity. Based on the ORF2-encoded VP1 classification, the six reported porcine bocaviruses were grouped into four species: PoBoV1 (porcine boca-like virus or PBoLV), PoBoV2 (porcine parvovirus 4 or PPV4), PoBoV3 (PBoV1/PBoV2) and PoBoV4 (6V/7V), with PoBoV3 and PoBoV4 having two genotype viruses each. All four PoBoV species were detected among the 166 samples collected at the end of 2010 from swine herds located in ten provinces of China. The detection rates for PoBoV1-4 were 28.9%, 6.6%, 21.7% and 53.6%, respectively. The co-infection combinations involving these six porcine bocaviruses in the collected samples were very complex. Furthermore, mixed-infections with viruses from other families (porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome virus, classic swine fever virus and porcine circovirus type 2) were also detected.