Porcine Epidemic Diarrhea Virus Pathogenesis and Immunology
Summary
Porcine epidemic diarrhoea virus (PEDV) is an alphacoronavirus responsible for acute enteric disease in swine, with particularly severe outcomes in neonatal piglets. Infection begins when the viral spike glycoprotein engages host receptors on small‐intestinal enterocytes, triggering membrane fusion and intracellular replication. The resulting villous atrophy impairs nutrient absorption, leading to malabsorptive diarrhoea, dehydration and high mortality in neonates. Innate immunity, mediated by interferon responses and pattern recognition receptors, provides the first line of defence, but PEDV encodes antagonists that dampen these pathways. Adaptive immunity encompasses both humoral and cell‐mediated responses: maternally derived neutralising antibodies in colostrum and milk are critical for neonatal protection, while T‐cell responses contribute to viral clearance in older animals. Vaccine strategies under investigation include live‐attenuated, inactivated and subunit formulations targeting the spike protein, but antigenic drift and immune evasion pose ongoing challenges. Integrating insights into viral pathogenesis, host immunology and evolutionary dynamics is vital for refining biosecurity measures, advancing vaccine design and enhancing diagnostic approaches, with significant ramifications for global swine health and agricultural productivity.
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Porcine Epidemic Diarrhea Virus Pathogenesis and Immunology publication trend
The graph below shows the total number of articles in porcine epidemic diarrhea virus pathogenesis and immunology across all publications each year (not limited to Nature Index journals).
Technical terms
Spike glycoprotein: Viral surface protein that mediates attachment to host receptors and membrane fusion.
Enterocyte: Absorptive epithelial cell lining the small intestine where PEDV replicates.
Villous atrophy: Shortening of intestinal villi caused by viral cytopathic effects, leading to malabsorption.
Humoral immunity: Arm of adaptive immunity involving production of antibodies by B cells.
Interferon response: Innate antiviral defence triggered by infected cells to inhibit viral replication.
Coinfection: Simultaneous infection of a host by multiple viral strains, which can facilitate recombination.
References
- Porcine epidemic diarrhea virus: An emerging and re-emerging epizootic swine virus. Virology Journal (2015).
- A portable transistor immunosensor for fast identification of porcine epidemic diarrhea virus. Journal of Nanobiotechnology (2024).
- Coinfection and nonrandom recombination drive the evolution of swine enteric coronaviruses. Emerging Microbes & Infections (2024).
- The 3.1-Angstrom Cryo-electron Microscopy Structure of the Porcine Epidemic Diarrhea Virus Spike Protein in the Prefusion Conformation. Journal of Virology (2019).
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