Genetic analysis of strains of Japanese Encephalitis Virus isolated from swine in central China

In this study, four strains of Japanese Encephalitis Virus (JEV) were isolated from the cerebrospinal fluid of aborted fetuses or stillborn piglets collected randomly from a number of piggeries in central China. The E genes were cloned by RT–PCR and sequenced. Phylogenetic analysis was performed with 48 JEV isolates previously reported in China and other countries, and showed that all four isolates can be classified into the subcluster of genotype III. The results strongly suggest that the genotype III of JEV is the major variant currently circulating in the swinery of central China.