Porcine Epidemic Diarrhea Virus (PEDV): A Persistent Threat to the Global Swine Industry

Dear Colleagues,

Porcine epidemic diarrhea virus (PEDV), an enveloped, single-stranded positive-sense RNA virus belonging to the genus Alphacoronavirus (family Coronaviridae), continues to pose significant challenges to global swine production. Initially identified in England in the 1970s, this pathogen has achieved worldwide distribution, causing epidemic outbreaks marked by acute watery diarrhea, vomiting, dehydration, and mortality rates approaching 100% in neonatal piglets. The emergence of highly virulent PEDV variants since 2010 has intensified economic impacts, emphasizing the critical need for improved control measures.

Endemic in major pork-producing regions including Asia, North America, and Europe, PEDV caused economic losses exceeding approximately USD 1 billion during the 2010-2013 outbreaks in China and the United States alone. Two key factors hinder eradication efforts: the prolonged environmental persistence of viral particles in contaminated facilities and insufficient cross-protection between antigenically distinct viral strains.

Current prevention strategies focus on vaccine development, though existing formulations derived from classical strains (e.g., CV777) demonstrate limited efficacy against emerging variants due to the antigenic drift of the S protein. Investigational approaches include recombinant subunit vaccines targeting conserved S protein epitopes and next-generation live-attenuated vaccines.

Gaining a comprehensive understanding of PEDV requires a multidisciplinary investigation spanning molecular pathogenesis, epidemiological surveillance, experimental models, and therapeutic development. This Special Issue will advance PEDV control strategies through novel insights into viral transmission dynamics and innovative intervention approaches. We invite contributions in the form of Original Research, Reviews, and Mini-reviews addressing, but not limited to, the following:

1. Experimental infection models elucidating PEDV adaptation and evolutionary mechanisms;
2. Genomic and proteomic characterization of field isolates to delineate natural PEDV evolution;
3. Host–pathogen interactions mediating PEDV entry and infection pathways;
4. Epidemiological analyses of PEDV distribution patterns in swine populations;
5. Computational modeling approaches for infection dynamics and outbreak management;
6. Development of novel vaccine platforms and antiviral therapeutic strategies.

Dr. Ke Liu
Guest Editor

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