Abstract

Rotavirus A is one of the main causative agents of diarrhea in lactating and weaned pigs worldwide. Its impact in the swine industry is well documented. However, in Chile the current epidemiological status of rotavirus in porcine farms is unknown. This study evaluated the current epidemiologic status of rotavirus A infection in Chile using on-farm detection technique, electrophoretic confirmation, genotyping and phylogenetic clustering by analysis of partial sequences of VP4 and VP7 genes. Rotavirus A was detected in 4 out of 5 farms with an overall prevalence of 17,7% in diarrheic pigs. The average age of diarrhea onset was at 32 ± 6,2 days of age, corresponding to weaning pigs and rotavirus was not detected in lactating piglets. Molecular characterization indicated that genotypes G5 and G3 and P[7] and P [13] are currently the most widely represented in these pigs farms. The phylogenetic analysis showed that farms shared similar G types (VP7), which might denote a common origin. Meanwhile, [P] types (VP4) showed considerable genetic diversity and this might represent a high rate of reassortment of this genetic segment in rotavirus circulating in the researched area. These findings demonstrate the importance of considering both the geographical and production factors to accurately determine rotavirus prevalence status at a country level and have relevant implications to determine the effective control strategies for rotavirus infections control in porcine farms.