Occurrence and molecular characterization of Sapelovirus A in diarrhea and non-diarrhea feces of different age group pigs in one Korean pig farm

To determine the occurrence and genetic diversity of Sapelovirus A (SV-A) in diarrhea and non-diarrhea feces of Korean pigs, 110 specimens from different age groups of pigs in the same farm were analyzed by RT-nested PCR. SV-As were detected in 60% of both diarrhea and non-diarrhea specimens regardless of age groups with primer pairs for 2C region, in which all diarrhea samples were co-infected by other enteric pathogens. Phylogenetical analysis of partial VP1 region showed that our strains and several other Korean strains belonged to cluster I, distinct from some strains reported in Korea and other countries. These data indicate that genetically distinct SV-As are frequently detected in Korean pigs irrespective of diarrhea and age.