Development of an indirect enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay based on nucleocapsid protein for the detection of swine acute diarrhea syndrome coronavirus antibody.

BACKGROUND: Swine acute diarrhea syndrome coronavirus (SADS-CoV) is a porcine enteric coronavirus that induces watery diarrhea in pigs, causing substantial economic losses in the swine industry. While the molecular and serological epidemiology of SADS-CoV in China has been extensively studied, comprehensive epidemiological studies assessing its prevalence outside China are lacking. RESULTS: In this study, an indirect enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay based on the SADS-CoV N protein (N-iELISA) was developed to evaluate the seroprevalence of SADS-CoV in Korean pig herds. The optimal conditions for N-iELISA were determined through checkerboard titration of serum samples verified via western blotting. The assay showed sufficient specificity and reproducibility, with a cutoff value of 0.484. A total of 540 field samples collected from pig herds across nine provinces in Korea were subsequently tested using the N-iELISA. The findings revealed an overall seroprevalence of SADS-CoV in Korea of 8.70%. CONCLUSIONS: These results indicate that the N-iELISA is a reliable tool for seroepidemiological studies of SADS-CoV and suggest that the seroprevalence of SADS-CoV in the Korean pig population is relatively low.