Sapelovirus is a new genus within the family
Picornaviridae. Currently, this genus comprises porcine
Sapelovirus (PSV), simian
Sapelovirus, avian
Sapelovirus, and unclassified
Sapelovirus isolated from bat, marmot, California sea lion, and mouse
[1]. The
Sapelovirus genome is a positive-strand RNA of approximately 7.5 kb in length, with the typical picornavirus genome organization: a 5′ untranslated region (UTR), a single large open reading frame (ORF), a 3′-UTR, and a poly (A) tail. The ORF encodes a single polyprotein that is subsequently cleaved by virus encoding proteases into twelve proteins, including leader protein, four structural proteins (VP1-VP4) and seven nonstructural functional proteins (2A, 2B, 2C, 3A, 3B, 3C, and 3D)
[2]. The capsid proteins of
Sapelovirus are composed of four structural proteins located at the virion surface and exhibit high sequence variability
[1]. VP1 protein, the most dominant and variable viral protein, has proven useful in determining genetic relationships among picornaviruses
[3][4][5][6].
PSV is transmitted through the fecal-oral route and associated with various symptoms, ranging from asymptomatic to clinical diseases such as respiratory distress, acute diarrhea, skin lesions, severe neurological disorders, and reproductive failure in domestic swine and wild boar
[7][8][9][10][11]. Since first reported in UK
[12], PSV has been identified in different countries worldwide, with prevalence ranging between 7.1% in India and 71.0% in Hungary
[2][13][14][15][16][17][18][19][20][21]. Recent reports have shown that PSV can induce intestinal lesions in experimentally infected piglets
[1][8][22]. Previous studies have recorded lethal PSV infections in pigs aged 3 to 12 weeks with neurological problems, diarrhea, and respiratory ailments
[7][10][11]. The coinfection of viral diarrhea agents complicates disease detection, control, and prevention. Coinfection of PSV with other enteric pathogens is frequently reported in both symptomatic and asymptomatic pigs
[4][10][18][20][22][23][24][25]. Further, the asymptomatic nature of PSV infections and the high coinfection rate cause the symptoms of PSV infection to go unnoticed
[24], which poses a considerable risk to swine industries. Because antiviral drug and vaccine are not available yet, early identification and accurate diagnosis play a decisive role in timely containment and control of PSV infection.
Currently, diagnosis of PSV is mainly based on the detection of nucleic acid by PCR and confirmed by virus isolation
[1][15][19]. Although detection of PSV by PCR is sensitive, serological diagnosis should be more accurate. However, no specific antibody-based reagent or serological assay is commercially available yet to detect PSV infections. Based on these facts, highly sensitive and effective diagnostic assays are crucial to investigate the epidemiology of PSV.