Detection of coinfection of a divergent subgroup of genotype I Japanese encephalitis virus in multiple classical swine fever virus outbreaks in pigs of Assam, India

Abstract

A retrospective investigation of pig tissue samples from different classical swine fever virus (CSFV) outbreaks was undertaken employing RT-PCR for possible coinfection with other swine viruses. Four samples from three different outbreaks were found to be coinfected with Japanese encephalitis virus (JEV). Phylogenetic analysis was done based on complete E gene sequenced from all four coinfected samples. This revealed a new introduction of a divergent subgroup of JEV genotype I in India. This is the first report of detection of coinfection of JEV and CSFV in pigs and the first incidence of JEV genotype I in pigs in India.

Keywords: JEV genotype I; Japanese encephalitis virus; classical swine fever virus; coinfection; pigs.