Seroprevalence and molecular detection of porcine sapovirus in symptomatic suckling piglets in Guangdong Province, China

The seroprevalence and genetic identification of sapovirus (SaV) in symptomatic suckling piglets were investigated in Guangdong Province, China, between November 2011 and April 2013. Serum (n=960) and diarrheic fecal (n=101) samples collected from symptomatic suckling piglets in Guangdong Province were evaluated for antibodies against SaV using indirect enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (iELISA). The overall seroprevalence of SaV in symptomatic suckling piglets was 61.9 % (594/960). Positive animals were found in all regions with seroprevalence ranging from 52 to 67.8 %, but the difference was not statistically significant (P>0.05). In addition, RNA of SaV was extracted from diarrheic fecal samples, and the partial polymerase gene was amplified by RT-PCR and then sequenced. Seven of 101 (6.9 %) samples were found to contain porcine SaV. Phylogenetic analysis showed that all the porcine SaV isolates belong to the porcine SaV genogroup III (GIII). This is the first report of SaV seroprevalence in symptomatic pigs in China.