Porcine epidemic diarrhea virus: Current insights

Abstract

Porcine epidemic diarrhea virus (PEDV), an enveloped, single-stranded, positive-sense RNA virus belonging to the genus Alphacoronavirus in the family Coronaviridae, can infect pigs of all ages and causes acute and watery diarrhea, vomiting, dehydration, and high mortality in neonatal piglets. This disease was first observed in England in 1971 and was subsequently reported in many swine-producing countries in Europe and Asia. In contrast to the situation in Europe, the disease has remained a major cause of diarrhea outbreaks on swine farms in Asia. Since late 2010, severe porcine epidemic diarrhea (PED) epizootics caused by new variants have been affecting pigs in the People’s Republic of China, resulting in substantial economic losses. In April 2013, PEDV was identified for the first time in the United States and resulted in the estimated death of over seven million piglets during a 1-year epidemic. Nowadays, it has spread into North and South America, Asia, and Europe, causing significant economic problems worldwide. More studies have been conducted in PEDV research, and the number of scientific literatures published during the last 5 years has exceeded the total of that in the past several decades. This review focuses on the current understanding of the etiology, molecular epidemiology, transmission, diagnosis, and pathogenesis of PEDV, as well as the vaccine to prevent PEDV infection.