Identification and genetic characterization of new bovine viral diarrhea virus genotype 2 strains in pigs isolated in China

Classical swine fever (CSF)-like symptoms in pigs regarded as free from CSF has been reported previously. From sick pigs with CSF-like symptoms, and who had been inoculated with the hog cholera vaccine, samples were collected and subjected to RT-PCR using specific primers. Twelve bovine viral diarrhea virus 2 (BVDV-2) strains were screened and isolated. Homology comparison showed that the E2 genes of the twelve isolates were highly conserved. The genome of the one of the BVDV-2 isolates (named as SH-28) from the sick pigs, which showed a noncytopathic effect in MDBK cell cultures and strong reactivity with monoclonal antibody (MAb) Bz-53 raised against BVDV-2, was sequenced. The genome of SH-28 comprises 12,279 nucleotides and contains a large open reading frame beginning at nucleotide 386 and ending at nucleotide 12,073. Genomic comparison and phylogenetic analyzes showed that SH-28 fall into BVDV-2 subtype and was most similar to XJ-04 (nucleotide and amino acid homologies were 89.9–93.8 % and 91.1–96.9 %, respectively), but was genetically divergent from ZM-95 (pig BVDV-1).