Prevalence and genetic diversity of PRRSV in Sichuan province of China from 2021 to 2023: Evidence of an ongoing epidemic transition

Porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome (PRRS) significantly impacts the global swine industry. Sichuan province, a key pig breeding center in China, has limited data on the molecular epidemiology of PRRS Virus (PRRSV). To address this, 1618 suspected PRRSV samples were collected from 2021 to 2023, with a prevalence rate of 39.74% (643/1618). Phylogenetic analysis showed PRRSV-2 as dominant (95.65%, 615/643), with PRRSV-1 at 4.35% (28/643). PRRSV-2 strains were further classified into NADC30-like (74.18%), NADC34-like (11.98%), C-PRRSV (5.44%), and HP-PRRSV (4.04%). The significant change in the proportions of different lineages indicates genomic divergence. NADC30-like strains exhibited significant amino acid mutations in ORF5, aiding immune evasion. Recombination analysis revealed complex patterns, primarily involving NADC30-like strains. This study highlights the genomic divergence of PRRSV in Sichuan, with NADC30-like strains becoming predominant and emerging strains like NADC34-like showing potential for further spread.