Molecular characteristics of the Porcine Epidemic Diarrhea Virus strains isolated in different regions of Ukraine

Aim. Research on the molecular characteristics of the PEDV strains isolated in different regions of Ukraine. Methods. PEDV was detected and differentiated in biological material by PCR using the EZ-RED / TGE / PDCoV MPX 1.0 Realtime RT-PCR test system. The complete S gene was sequenced for comparative genotyping of the PEDV strains using PCR. Results. The diagnosis of PED was confirmed in the pig farms under investigation. The PED strains isolated in different regions of Ukraine have a high similarity (99 %) to the strains from North America in 2013-2014 and China in 2011-2012 and a lower similarity (90 %) with the strains circulating in Europe before 1995. The PEDV_Cherkasy_UA_17 strain was clustered into group 2 (cognate to the Chinese strain BJ-2011-1) in the North American clade II of the PEDV. The Ukrainian PEDV strain was phylogenetically clustered together with the highly virulent North American PEDV strains, but differed from the strains circulating in European countries. Conclusions. The PEDV strains isolated in various regions of Ukraine have a high (>99.5 %) degree of homology and are phylogenetically clustered with the highly virulent North American PEDV strains.