Haplotype of Wild Korean Boars Infected by Classical Swine Fever Virus Subgenotype 2.1d

Simple Summary Classical swine fever is a highly contagious disease that infects both domestic pigs and wild boars. Classical swine fever virus (CSFV) has not been detected in domestic pigs in South Korea since 2016, but has been increasing in wild boars since 2017. Two cases of CSFV subgenotype 2.1d were detected in wild Korean boars in 2011, but then no cases were detected until 2016; however, 16 cases of CSFV were detected between 2017 and 2019. In this study, we report seven CSFV-positive samples obtained from wild boars in 2020. In addition, although 13 mtDNA haplotypes were detected in wild boars in South Korea, all 25 cases of CSFV that occurred in wild boars between 2011 and 2020 were detected in animals with haplotype 01. Classical swine fever virus (CSFV) is one of the major pathogens that causes severe economic damage to the swine industry. Circulation of CSFV in wild boars carries the potential risk of reintroducing the virus into CSFV-free pig farms. This study carried out a genetic analysis of CSFV isolates from wild boars and analyzed the mtDNA haplotypes of the wild boars. Blood samples (n = 2140) from wild Korean boars captured in 2020 were subjected to qRT-PCR to detect CSFV, which was classified as subgenotype 2.1d based on phylogenetic analysis. CSFV had been detected in wild boars only in northern regions (Gangwon and Gyeonggi) of South Korea between 2011 and 2019. However, CSFV was identified in wild boars in the more southern regions (Chungbuk and Gyeongbuk) in 2020. Based on mitochondrial DNA analysis, all wild boars with CSFV were haplotype 01 (H01). Thus, we presume that the H01 haplotype is more susceptible to CSFV. In the future, infection of wild boars by CSFV is expected to occur intermittently every year, and we predict that most wild boars infected with CSFV will be haplotype H01.