Recent Advances in Virus–Host Interactions, Antiviral Bioactive Compounds, and Breeding for Disease Resistance of Porcine Epidemic Diarrhea Virus

ABSTRACT Porcine epidemic diarrhea virus (PEDV) is an enteric coronavirus that causes acute gastrointestinal infection in neonatal piglets, characterized by severe diarrhea, high transmissibility, and elevated mortality rates. As a major threat to the global swine industry, PEDV outbreaks incur substantial economic losses in pork production. After extensive circulation over prolonged periods, PEDV has accumulated a series of mutations, resulting in strains with enhanced transmissibility and pathogenicity. Currently, available vaccines provide insufficient protection against PEDV, and no commercial antiviral drugs or PEDV‐resistant pig breeds are available for clinical prevention and treatment. This review summarizes the structural and functional characteristics of PEDV, as well as the current understanding of antiviral compounds, host factors, and virus–host interactions during PEDV infection. Gene‐editing technologies have been successfully applied to generate antiviral pigs, offering valuable insights for the development of PEDV‐resistant pigs. Collectively, this review provides critical information for deciphering the PEDV infection process and associated host factors and facilitates the prevention and control of PEDV infection.