Porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome virus (PRRSV) causes significant economic losses to the swine industry worldwide. While PRRSV has been endemic in North America since 1989, it was not until 1999 that the virus was first described in South America. Notably, recently an increased number of PRRSV outbreaks have been reported in South American countries. However, epidemiological information related to these outbreaks is limited and the genetic characteristics of the PRRSV strains circulating in the region are poorly understood. In this study, we describe the genetic analyses of PRRSV strains associated with severe PRRS outbreaks in Peru. Samples originating from 14 farms located in two Departments in Peru (Lima and Arequipa), were subjected to RT‐PCR amplification of the PRRSV ORF5 gene and sequencing followed by restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP) analysis. Results demonstrated the circulation of PRRSV‐2 in Peru. Notably ORF5 RFLP typing revealed that 15 (75%) of the PRRSV strains detected in this study belong to the RFLP 1‐7‐4 type. Phylogenetic analysis showed that the Peruvian strains are closely related to the highly virulent PRRSV 1‐7‐4 strains that emerged in the US in 2013–2014. Results here indicate the presence of highly virulent PRRSV 1‐7‐4 strains in Peru and provide important information on the geographical distribution of PRRSV, confirming the recent geographical expansion of this important swine pathogen towards South America.
Introduction: Infections, particularly diarrheal infections, are a major cause of neonatal death in South American camelids. The aim of this study was to identify the pathogens that could have caused the recent diarrhea outbreak among the alpacas in Silli, Cusco, located in the southern Peruvian highland. Methodology: Spleen, kidney, and intestine tissue along with fecal and intestinal lavage samples were obtained from 50 one-to five-week-old alpacas and analyzed for the presence of parasites, bacteria, and viruses. Results: Laboratory testing of the 50 crias included in this study revealed that 80% were infected with Eimeria spp., 40% with coronavirus, 34% with E. coli, 32% with rotavirus, 22% with Clostridium spp., and 20% with Cryptosporidium spp. Of these 50 alpaca crias, 20 presented with a single infection (19 positive for Eimeria spp. and 1 positive for rotavirus). Co-infections with up to four pathogens occurred in 60% of the samples. The significance of such infections is not clear, but it is noteworthy that the animals suffering from necrotic and/or hemorrhagic enteritis presented with quadruple infections. It is likely that co-infections increase the severity of the disease. Conclusions: These data show that multiple pathogens circulate among young alpaca crias and could be associated with diarrheal disease in these animals. The findings from this study warrant the provision of subsidies for future assessment of the potential economic impact of these infections on the productivity of the Peruvian alpaca industry.
Interspecies transmission is an important mechanism of evolution and contributes to rotavirus A (RVA) diversity. In order to evaluate the detection frequency, genetic diversity, epidemiological characteristics and zoonotic potential of RVA strains in faecal specimens from humans and animals cohabiting in the same environment in the department of Cusco, Peru, by molecular analysis, 265 faecal specimens were obtained from alpacas, llamas, sheep and shepherd children, and tested for RVA by RT‐PCR. Genotyping was performed by multiplex PCR and sequence analysis. Rotavirus A was detected in 20.3% of alpaca, 47.5% of llama, 100% of sheep and 33.3% of human samples. The most common genetic constellations were G3‐P[40]‐I8‐E3‐H6 in alpacas, G1/G3‐P[8]‐I1‐E1‐H1 in llamas, G1/G3/G35‐P[1]/P[8]‐I1‐E1‐H1 in sheep and G3‐P[40]‐I1/I8‐E3‐H1 in humans. The newly described genotypes P[40] and P[50] were identified in all host species, including humans. Genotyping showed that the majority of samples presented coinfection with two or more RVA strains. These data demonstrate the great genetic diversity of RVA in animals and humans in Cusco, Peru. Phylogenetic analysis suggested that the strains represent zoonotic transmission among the species studied. Due to the characteristics of the human and animal populations in this study (cohabitation of different host species in conditions of poor sanitation and hygiene), the occurrence of zoonoses is a real possibility.
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