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ARS Home » Plains Area » Clay Center, Nebraska » U.S. Meat Animal Research Center » Genetics and Animal Breeding » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #329409
Title: Complete genome sequence of highly virulent Porcine Reproductive and Respiratory Syndrome Virus (PRRSV) variants that recently emerged in the United States

Author
item Workman, Aspen
item Smith, Timothy - Tim
item OSORIO, FERNANDO - University Of Nebraska
item VU, HIEP - University Of Nebraska

Submitted to: Genome Announcements
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 6/10/2016
Publication Date: 8/4/2016
Citation: Workman, A.M., Smith, T.P., Osorio, F.A., Vu, H.L. 2016. Complete genome sequence of highly virulent porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome virus variants that recently emerged in the United States. Genome Announcements. 4(4):e00772-16.

Interpretive Summary: Porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome virus (PRRSV) is an economically important virus that causes reproductive failure in sows, weak-born piglets, and respiratory disease in growing pigs. Since the discovery of Porcine Reproductive and Respiratory Syndrome Virus (PRRSV) in the late 1980s, virulent strains causing more severe disease in pigs have emerged periodically, yet the basis for increased virulence remains unknown. In 2014, a virulent PRRSV variant emerged in the United States and has spread through U.S. pig farms with devastating effects on the swine industry. The objective of this work was to obtain the full genome sequence of PRRSV isolates associated with these severe disease outbreaks to better understand the molecular characteristics of these newly emerging PRRSV variants. In this study, we report the complete genome sequence of eight viral isolates from four Nebraska herds experiencing an outbreak of severe disease in 2016. Together, this set of complete genome sequences will further our understanding of PRRSV evolution and provide valuable information to more finely delineate the viral genomic sites associated with changes in viral virulence.

Technical Abstract: A recent outbreak of particularly virulent disease caused by porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome virus has occurred in swine herds across the United States. We report here the complete genome sequence of eight viral isolates from four Nebraska herds experiencing an outbreak of severe disease in 2016.