Porcine rotavirus C in pigs with gastroenteritis on Thai swine farms, 2011-2016

Supansa Tuanthap; Cherdpong Phupolphan; Supol Luengyosluechakul; Ausanee Duang-In; Apiradee Theamboonlers; Suphot Wattanaphansak; Sompong Vongpunsawad; Alongkorn Amonsin; Yong Poovorawan

doi:10.7717/peerj.4724

Porcine rotavirus C in pigs with gastroenteritis on Thai swine farms, 2011-2016

PeerJ. 2018 May 8:6:e4724. doi: 10.7717/peerj.4724. eCollection 2018.

Authors

Supansa Tuanthap¹, Cherdpong Phupolphan², Supol Luengyosluechakul³, Ausanee Duang-In⁴, Apiradee Theamboonlers⁴, Suphot Wattanaphansak³, Sompong Vongpunsawad⁴, Alongkorn Amonsin⁵, Yong Poovorawan⁴

Affiliations

¹ Inter-Department Program of Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Graduate School, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok, Thailand.
² The Livestock Animal Hospital, Faculty of Veterinary Science, Chulalongkorn University, Nakorn Pathom, Thailand.
³ Department of Veterinary Medicine, Faculty of Veterinary Science, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok, Thailand.
⁴ Center of Excellence in Clinical Virology, Faculty of Medicine, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok, Thailand.
⁵ Department of Veterinary Public Health, Faculty of Veterinary Science, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok, Thailand.

Abstract

Swine are economically important food animals, but highly contagious porcine epidemic diarrhea virus (PEDV) and rotavirus can afflict pig herds and contribute significantly to piglet morbidity and mortality. While there have been studies on rotavirus group A (RVA) in Thailand, reports of rotavirus group C (RVC) are limited. Here, we aimed to identify the prevalence of RVC circulating on Thai commercial swine farms. We analyzed 769 feces and intestine mucosal contents of pigs affected with diarrhea between 2011 and 2016 using RT-PCR specific for the PEDV spike (S), rotavirus glycoprotein (G) VP7, and protease-sensitive protein (P) VP4 genes. We found that 6.6% (51/769) of samples tested positive for RVC, of which 11 samples were co-infected with RVA and four samples were co-infected with PEDV. Three samples tested positive for all three viruses. Phylogenetic analysis of the VP7 gene showed that the most frequent RVC genotype was G1, which grouped with the prototypic RVC Cowden strain. While G6 and G9 were also common, G3 was relatively rare. Analysis of the VP4 gene revealed that the most common P type was P[5], followed by P[4], P[7], and P[1]. In all, there were six G/P combinations (G6P[5], G1P[1], G1P[4], G1P[5], G9P[4], and G9P[7]), of which G6P[5] was the most predominant.

Keywords: Pigs; Rotavirus C; Thailand; VP4; VP7.

Grants and funding

This work was supported by the 100th Anniversary Chulalongkorn University Fund for a doctoral scholarship to Supansa Tuanthap in the Inter-Department Program of Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Graduate School, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok, Thailand, the National Research Council of Thailand, the Research Chair Grant from NSTDA (P-15-50004), the Thailand Research Fund (RTA6080012), and the Center of Excellence in Clinical Virology (GCE 59-009-30-005). The funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript.