Porcine Epidemic Diarrhea Virus (PEDv) – NAVLE Study Guide

Overview and Clinical Importance

Porcine Epidemic Diarrhea Virus (PEDv) is an enveloped, single-stranded, positive-sense RNA virus belonging to the genus Alphacoronavirus within the family Coronaviridae. It causes severe acute enteric disease characterized by profuse watery diarrhea, vomiting, and dehydration, with mortality rates approaching 100% in neonatal piglets less than 7 days of age.

First identified in England in 1971 and Belgium in 1978, PEDv remained predominantly a European and Asian problem until 2013 when it emerged in the United States, causing devastating losses of over 10% of the US pig population within the first year. The disease remains a significant economic threat to the global swine industry due to high mortality in naive herds and the virus's ability to persist in the environment.

Etiology

Viral Classification and Structure

PEDv is classified within the order Nidovirales, family Coronaviridae, genus Alphacoronavirus. The viral genome is approximately 28 kb in length, encoding both structural and non-structural proteins.