Abstract
BACKGROUND: Porcine epidemic diarrhea (PED) is a significant pig disease causing high mortality in suckling pigs and high morbidity across all age groups. It is highly prevalent in Southeast Asia, posing a threat of transboundary transmission to India. Although antibodies were detected as early as 2003 in Assam, there was no evidence of viral detection or molecular characterization until this study. This study reports the first clinical outbreak of PED in India, followed by the detection and genetic characterization of PED virus (PEDV) during 2022-23. METHODS: The outbreak was characterized, and fecal samples (n = 21) were collected from affected pigs. These samples were screened for PEDV using RT-PCR, targeting the N, S, and M genes. Serosurveillance was conducted in eight districts, and serum samples (n = 339) were tested for PEDV antibodies using ELISA. Partial N, S, and M gene sequencing, followed by phylogenetic analysis using MEGA v11.0.13, was performed to identify the prevailing genotype and variations in the coding region. RESULTS: This study identified the first clinical outbreak of PEDV in India, with morbidity rates of 55-57.1% and symptoms including yellow watery diarrhea, vomiting, and abdominal pain. PEDV was confirmed in 17 of 21 fecal samples by amplifying the N, S, and M genes. Serosurveys showed seropositivity in Mandya (2.8%), Bengaluru Rural (6.6%), and Kolar (21.6%), districts indicating PEDV circulation in the state of Karnataka, India. The phylogenetic analysis of the S and M genes placed our study sequences within the Genotype 2a (G2a) clade, aligning with other known G2a strains. In contrast, the phylogenetic tree of the N gene clustered our sequences within the Genotype 1a (G1a) clade suggesting potential recombination. The Indian PEDV strains clustered with strains of China, with unique amino acid substitutions in the S gene, particularly in the receptor binding region. CONCLUSION: This study reports the first clinical outbreak of PED in India and identifies the circulating genotype of PEDV. The study emphasizes the need for large-scale surveillance studies to understand the disease's status. Understanding PEDV's genetic diversity and evolution is essential to develop area-specific vaccines to mitigate the disease impact on India's pig population.