Identification, phylogenetic analysis and classification of porcine group C rotavirus VP7 sequences from the United States and Canada

Rotavirus C (RVC) is a major cause of gastroenteritis in swine. Between December 2009 and October 2011, 7520 porcine samples were analyzed from herds in the US and Canada. RVC RNA was detected in 46% of the tested samples. In very young pigs (≤3 days old) and young piglets (4-20 days old), 78% and 65%, respectively, RVC positive samples were negative for RVA and RVB. RVC RNA was also detected in 10% of tested lung tissues. Additionally, we investigated the porcine RVC molecular diversity by sequencing the VP7 gene segment of 65 specimens, yielding 70 VP7 gene sequences. Based on pairwise identity frequency profiles and phylogenetic analyses, an 85% nucleotide classification cut-off value was calculated using the novel sequence data generated in this study (n=70) and previously published RVC VP7 sequences (n=82), which resulted in the identification of 9 VP7 RVC genotypes, G1 to G9.