Isolation and molecular and phylogenetic analyses of encephalomyocarditis virus from wild boar in central China

- A new EMCV strain (named JZ1202) was isolated from semi-captive wild boar in Central China for the first time.
- The EMCV isolate JZ1202 is pathogenic to mice and causing encephalitis and death.
- Bioinformatic analysis indicated that JZ1202 was 81.3-99.9% identical with isolates worldwide, and belonged to lineage 1.
- The study expends the species range for fatal EMCV infection, providing new epidemiologic data on EMCV in China.

Encephalomyocarditis virus (EMCV) can infect many host species and cause acute myocarditis and respiratory failure in piglets, reproductive failure in pregnant sows. In this study, an EMCV strain, designated JZ1202, was isolated from semi-captive wild boars that presented with acute myocarditis and sudden death in central China. It was identified by hemagglutination inhibition (HI) assay, reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) and genome sequencing. The subsequent results showed that the virus could produce a specific cytopathic effect on BHK cells and could cause clinical symptoms and pathological changes in mice. Complete genome sequencing and multiple sequence alignment indicated that JZ1202 strain was 81.3%-99.9% identical with other isolates worldwide. Phylogenetic analysis of the whole genome, ORF, VP3/VP1 and 3D genes using neighbor-joining method revealed that JZ1202 isolate was grouped into lineage 1. The results of this study confirmed that an EMCV strain JZ 1202 isolated from wild boar in central China was fatal to mice and provided new epidemiologic data on EMCV in China.