Shao-Lun Zhai is an Epidemiologist and Assistant Researcher at Animal Disease Diagnostic Center, Institute of Animal Health, Guangdong Academy of Agricultural Sciences. His research interests focus on surveillance and rapid response research of emerging or reemerging animal pathogens.

Following the initial isolation of porcine Deltacoronavirus (PDCoV) from pigs with diarrheal disease in the United States in 2012, the virus has been detected on swine farms in some provinces of China. To date, little is known about the molecular epidemiology of PDCoV in southern China where major swine production is operated. To investigate the prevalence of PDCoV in this region and compare its activity to other enteric disease of swine caused by porcine epidemic diarrhea virus (PEDV), transmissible gastroenteritis coronavirus (TGEV) and porcine rotavirus group C (Rota C), 90 fecal samples were collected from swine of various ages from three swine farms with diarrhea. Fecal samples were tested by reverse transcription-PCR (RT-PCR) that targeted PDCoV, PEDV, TGEV and Rota C, respectively. PDCoV was detected exclusively from nursing piglets with an overall prevalence of approximate 4.4%, not in suckling and fattening piglets. Despite a low detection rate, PDCoV was detected from all three farms. Interestingly, PDCoV-positive piglets were also tested positive for PEDV. PEDV was detected in approximate 18.8% of piglets with a similar distribution rate in both nursing and suckling piglets. None of tested fecal samples were positive for TGEV or PRV. Furthermore, phylogenetic analysis of spike (S) and nucleocapsid (N) gene sequences of PDCoVs revealed that currently circulating PDCoVs in southern China were more closely related to other Chinese strains of PDCoVs than to those reported in USA and Korea. This study demonstrated that PDCoV was present in southern China and supported an evolutionary theory of geographical clustering of PDCoVs.

Shengjun Jiang is researcher in Tropical Crops Genetic Resources Institute, China. Research interest include animal disease study.

The foot and mouth disease virus (FMDV) is sensitive to acids and can be inactivated by exposure to low pH conditions. Spraying animals at risk of infection with suspensions of acid-forming microorganisms has been identified as a potential strategy for preventing FMD. Kombucha is one of the most strongly acid-forming symbiotic probiotics and could thus be an effective agent with which to implement this strategy. Moreover, certain Chinese herbal extracts are known to have broad-spectrum antiviral effects. Chinese herbal kombucha can be prepared by fermenting Chinese herbal extracts with a kombucha culture. Previous studies demonstrated that Chinese herbal kombucha prepared in this way efficiently inhibits FMDV replication in vitro. To assess the inhibitory effects of Chinese herbal kombucha against FMDV in vitro, swine challenged by intramuscular injection with 1000 SID50 of swine FMDV serotype O strain O/China/99 after treatment with Chinese herbal kombucha were partially protected against infection as demonstrated by a lack of clinical symptoms and qRT-PCR analysis. In a large scale field trial, spraying cattle in an FMD outbreak zone with kombucha protected against infection. Chinese herbal kombucha may be a useful probiotic agent for managing FMD outbreaks.