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Viruses
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Viruses of Swine and Companion Animals: Pathogenesis, Prevalence, Evolution and...
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Viruses of Swine and Companion Animals: Pathogenesis, Prevalence, Evolution and Control

A Special Issue of Viruses (ISSN 1999-4915) belonging to the section "Animal Viruses".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 31 October 2027 | Viewed by 1224

Editors

Dr. Jiangwei Song

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Beijing Academy of Agriculture and Forestry Sciences, Beijing 100097, China
Interests: emerging animal infectious diseases; veterinary virology; virus–host interaction; viral pathogenesis
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Dr. Qian-Yi Zhang

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
China Institute of Veterinary Drug Control, Beijing 100081, China
Interests: veterinary microbiology; livestock infectious diseases; host restriction factors; viral immune evasion

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Viral infections in swine and companion animals represent a persistent challenge to veterinary medicine, animal welfare, and global public health. With the intensification of agricultural practices and the increasingly close bonds between humans and companion animals, understanding the dynamics of both emerging and endemic viruses has never been more critical. Rapid genetic evolution in many of these pathogens facilitates immune evasion, altered tissue tropism, and, in some instances, the potential for cross-species transmission.

This Special Issue aims to provide a comprehensive platform to highlight the latest advancements in the study of viral pathogens affecting porcine, feline, and canine species. We seek to compile cutting-edge research on their pathogenesis, prevalence, and evolutionary trajectories. We welcome original research articles, systematic reviews, and meta-analyses covering molecular epidemiology, virus–host interactions, including receptor utilization and host restriction factors, and the development of novel diagnostics and antiviral strategies.

By integrating findings across these economically and socially significant animal populations, this Special Issue will contribute to a deeper understanding of viral ecology, ultimately informing evidence-based control measures under the One Health framework.

Dr. Jiangwei Song
Dr. Qian-Yi Zhang
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 250 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for assessment.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-anonymized peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Viruses is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2600 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • emerging viral diseases
  • porcine and companion animal viruses
  • molecular epidemiology
  • viral evolution
  • virus–host interactions
  • antiviral strategies
  • One Health

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Published Papers (3 papers)

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Research

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20 pages, 2932 KB  
Article
Co-Infection of PRRSV-1 and PRRSV-2 in a Single Sow: Complete Genome Characterization Reveals a Novel CH-1a-Backbone Recombinant with an NADC30-Derived Nsp2 in China
by Jiakai Li, Shuo Li, Jie Han, Rui Zhou and Zili Li
Viruses 2026, 18(9), 1044; https://doi.org/10.3390/v18091044 (registering DOI) - 20 Sep 2026
Abstract
Porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome virus (PRRSV) has the characteristics of a fast evolution rate and high genetic heterogeneity. PRRSV-1 and PRRSV-2 are co-circulating, and the threat they pose to the health of pigs worldwide continues to rise. In this study, two PRRSV [...] Read more.
Porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome virus (PRRSV) has the characteristics of a fast evolution rate and high genetic heterogeneity. PRRSV-1 and PRRSV-2 are co-circulating, and the threat they pose to the health of pigs worldwide continues to rise. In this study, two PRRSV strains with significantly different genetic backgrounds, namely SHEU-2022 (PRRSV-1, full length 15,050 nt) and SHCH-2023 (PRRSV-2, full length 15,019 nt), were simultaneously isolated from a single serum sample of a co-infected sow in Shanghai, China, and their whole-genome characteristics were analyzed. SHEU-2022 clustered with indigenous PRRSV-1 isolates in China, harbored a unique 15-nt deletion in the ORF3-ORF4 overlapping region, carried an additional N-glycosylation site on GP5, and replicated only in porcine alveolar macrophages (PAMs) under the conditions used. SHCH-2023 is a novel recombinant strain with a CH-1a-like (lineage 8) genome backbone and two NADC30-derived fragments—one in Nsp2 (sublineage 1.8) carrying the characteristic 131-amino acid deletion and one in the GP2/E region; it replicated in both PAMs and Marc-145 cells, though this may partly reflect the enrichment procedure. No PRRSV-1/PRRSV-2 recombination was detected between the two co-infected strains. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Viruses of Swine and Companion Animals: Pathogenesis, Prevalence, Evolution and Control)
21 pages, 31862 KB  
Article
Isolation, Characterization and Reverse Genetic System Establishment of a Highly Virulent PEDV Strain
by Fan Zhang, Helu Liu, Linlong Ji, Yanyang Zhou, Heng Chen, Jiyong Zhou and Jinyan Gu
Viruses 2026, 18(8), 864; https://doi.org/10.3390/v18080864 - 7 Aug 2026
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Abstract
Porcine epidemic diarrhea virus (PEDV) G2c variants have recently emerged, posing significant challenges to swine health management. As a major coronavirus affecting the swine industry, PEDV exhibits extensive genetic variability, which has greatly complicated disease control. Current vaccines provide suboptimal protection under field [...] Read more.
Porcine epidemic diarrhea virus (PEDV) G2c variants have recently emerged, posing significant challenges to swine health management. As a major coronavirus affecting the swine industry, PEDV exhibits extensive genetic variability, which has greatly complicated disease control. Current vaccines provide suboptimal protection under field conditions. Therefore, the isolation of recently circulating strains and the establishment of a robust reverse genetics system are critical for advancing the study of emerging variants and facilitating rational vaccine development. In this study, a PEDV field strain designated PEDV-BJ-2023 was isolated from diarrheic piglets in Guizhou, China. Phylogenetic analysis based on the complete genome and spike gene classified PEDV-BJ-2023 within the emerging G2c lineage. To facilitate functional studies, a full-length infectious cDNA clone was constructed using transformation-associated recombination cloning in yeast. Furthermore, an enhanced green fluorescent protein reporter virus was generated via CRISPR/Cas9-assisted homologous recombination by inserting an EGFP-2A cassette upstream of the nucleocapsid gene. The recombinant viruses displayed virion morphology and plaque characteristics similar to those of the parental wild-type PEDV-BJ-2023 strain, although the parental virus exhibited faster replication during the early stage of infection in vitro. In 5-day-old piglets, all three viruses caused severe diarrhea, weight loss, and intestinal lesions; however, recombinant viruses exhibited slightly reduced viral shedding and pathogenicity, with rPEDV-EGFP being the most attenuated. Notably, rPEDV-EGFP maintained stable EGFP expression over eight serial passages. This study establishes a reverse genetics platform for an emerging G2c PEDV strain and provides a stable fluorescent reporter virus, offering valuable tools for visualizing viral infection and investigating virus–host interactions. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Viruses of Swine and Companion Animals: Pathogenesis, Prevalence, Evolution and Control)
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Review

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15 pages, 9934 KB  
Review
The Battle Between Japanese Encephalitis Virus and Host Innate Immune System: Evasion and Response
by Teng Liu, Shucheng Zong, Shengkui Xu, Huan Jin, Dengjin Chen and Zhenhua Zhang
Viruses 2026, 18(9), 975; https://doi.org/10.3390/v18090975 - 4 Sep 2026
Viewed by 446
Abstract
Japanese encephalitis (JE) is a natural zoonotic disease caused by the Japanese encephalitis virus (JEV), which poses potential threats to human health and the pig farming industry. To establish infection, JEV must overcome the innate immune responses and complete its lifecycle in new [...] Read more.
Japanese encephalitis (JE) is a natural zoonotic disease caused by the Japanese encephalitis virus (JEV), which poses potential threats to human health and the pig farming industry. To establish infection, JEV must overcome the innate immune responses and complete its lifecycle in new hosts. Notably, the direct virus-induced neuronal cell death and an uncontrolled neuroinflammatory response jointly lead to the pathogenesis of JEV. In this review, we will focus on the innate immune response to JEV infection and the viral immune evasion strategies, such as escaping recognition or inhibiting the production of antiviral factors. Generally, JEV exploits four innate immune pathways, including type I interferon, interleukins, programmed cell death, and autophagy, to facilitate self-replication or exacerbate disease. Moreover, host microRNAs modulated during JEV infection have emerged as key regulators of this virus–host interplay. Therefore, a full understanding of how the immune system reacts to JEV infection and how the virus evades innate immune clearance will help develop effective vaccines or antiviral therapies. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Viruses of Swine and Companion Animals: Pathogenesis, Prevalence, Evolution and Control)
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