2025年40卷3期

Porcine epidemic diarrhea virus (PEDV) is a devastating enteric coronavirus in piglets. This virus can cause up to 100% mortality in piglets within two weeks of age, posing a significant threat to the swine industry. Recent virome analyses have identified several PEDV-like coronaviruses in bats, indicating potential cross-species infectivity. In this issue, Chen et al. detected the nucleic acid of PEDV in pig farm rat fecal samples. Subsequent animal challenge experiments showed that PEDV can cause systemic infections in neonatal mice and rats, with morbidity and mortality highly influenced by inoculation routes and doses. Unlike pigs, where PEDV targets the intestine, the brain and lungs were the primary organs affected in rodents. Moreover, the cerebral tropism of PEDV was first verified in piglets. This study provides robust evidence supporting the potential cross-species infection of PEDV. The cover depicts the possible PEDV transmission chain linked by the coexistence of rats and pigs on farms (Kindly designed and provided by Prof. Guangliang Liu and Dr. Jianing Chen). See page 301–313 for details.