Porcine sapelovirus (PSV) is an emerging virus that was isolated in a diagnostic specimen from a U.S. swine farm and designated as PSV KS18-01. In work done at Kansas State University and the University of Illinois, a full-length genome sequence was obtained through next-generation sequencing. Phylogenetic analysis showed that the virus is more closely related to two Japanese strains but is distantly related to two known U.S. strains. This work was funded through the Swine Health Information Center (SHIC) in an effort to develop diagnostic tools and further understanding of this emerging virus.
Specific diagnostic tools were developed for PSV, including the monoclonal antibodies against VP1 and VP2, and a VP1-VP2 antigen-based indirect ELISA. Using this assay, the dynamic response of PSV antibody was investigated in a group of post-weaned pigs that were naturally exposed with PSV. SHIC reports that the availability of the PSV isolate (KS18-01) and the specific diagnostic reagents and assays provide important tools for PSV control and prevention.
PSV, previously named as porcine enterovirus 8, belongs to the genus Sapelovirus in the family Picornaviridae. PSV is a non-enveloped, positive-sense single-stranded RNA virus. PSV infection is commonly asymptomatic, SHIC said in a release, but clinical disease of respiratory failure, diarrhea, reproductive disorder and polioencephlamyelitis have been reported in swine farms from many countries.
Additional studies are required for in-depth characterization of different PSV strains, especially the newly emerging strains.
“The virus isolate, diagnostic reagents and assays generated in this study will be important tools in aid of future pathogenesis studies as well as development of vaccines and therapeutics against PSV infection,” says Paul Sundberg, executive director of SHIC.
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