Outbreak of Porcine Reproductive and Respiratory Syndrome Virus 1 in Taiwan
Wei‐Hao Lin, Kraijak Kaewprom, Shengyuan Wang, Chuen‐Fu Lin, Chuen‐Fu Lin, Cheng‐Yao Yang, Ming‐Tang Chiou, Chao‐Nan Lin, Chao‐Nan Lin
Abstract
Porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome (PRRS) causes significant economic lossesin the swine industry worldwide. The PRRS virus (PRRSV) can be divided into two species, PRRSV1 (European) and PRRSV 2 (North American). In Taiwan, PRRSV 2 isolates are dominant and causerespiratory symptoms in nursing pigs. From October to November 2018, in a pig herd in centralTaiwan, pregnant sows had abortions and stillbirths, and piglets suffered from respiratorydisorders. Laboratory tests identified the presence of PRRSV 1 in serum from sows and sucklingpiglets in this scenario. The complete genome of the identified PRRSV 1 strain was geneticallyclosely related to that of a European PRRSV vaccine strain (98.2%). This local European isolate isdesignated as PRRSV/NPUST-2789-3W-2/TW/2018 (NPUST2789). This report is the first to indicatean outbreak in Taiwan of a PRRSV 1 strain that shares a common evolutionary ancestor with theEuropean PRRSV vaccine strain.