Experimental Infection of Domestic Pigs with African Swine Fever Virus Lithuania 2014 Genotype II Field Isolate

Comparative evaluation of disease dynamics in wild boar and domestic pigs experimentally inoculated intranasally with the European highly virulent African swine fever virus genotype II strain "Armenia 2007"

Since the reintroduction of African swine fever virus (ASFV) in Europe in 2007 and its subsequent spread to Asia, wild boar has played a crucial role in maintaining and disseminating the virus. There are significant gaps in the knowledge regarding infection dynamics and disease pathogenesis in domestic pigs and wild boar, particularly at the early infection stage. We aimed to compare domestic pigs and wild boar infected intranasally to mimic natural infection with one of the original highly virulent genotype II ASFV isolates (Armenia 2007). The study involved euthanising three domestic pigs and three wild boar on days 1, 2, 3, and 5 post-infection, while four domestic pigs and four wild boar were monitored until they reached a humane endpoint. The parameters assessed included clinical signs, macroscopic lesions, viremia levels, tissue viral load, and virus shedding in nasal and rectal swabs from day 1 post-infection. Compared with domestic pigs, wild boar were more susceptible to ASFV, with a shorter incubation period and earlier onset of clinical signs. While wild boar reached a humane endpoint earlier than domestic pigs did, the macroscopic lesions were comparatively less severe. In addition, wild boar had earlier viremia, and the virus was also detected earlier in tissues. The medial retropharyngeal lymph nodes were identified as key portals for ASFV infection in both subspecies. No viral genome was detected in nasal or rectal swabs until shortly before reaching the humane endpoint in both domestic pigs and wild boar, suggesting limited virus shedding in acute infections.

Modelling African swine fever introduction in diverse Australian feral pig populations

African swine fever (ASF) is a viral disease that affects domestic and feral pigs. While not currently present in Australia, ASF outbreaks have been reported nearby in Indonesia, Timor-Leste, and Papua New Guinea. Feral pigs are found in all Australian states and territories and are distributed in a variety of habitats. To investigate the impacts of an ASF introduction event in Australia, we used a stochastic network-based metapopulation feral pig model to simulate ASF outbreaks in different regions of Australia. Outbreak intensity and persistence in feral pig populations was governed by local pig recruitment rates, population size, carcass decay period, and, if applicable, metapopulation topology. In Northern Australia, the carcass decay period was too short for prolonged persistence, while endemic transmission could possibly occur in cooler southern areas. Populations in Macquarie Marshes in New South Wales and in Namadgi National Park in the Australian Capital Territory had the highest rates of persistence. The regions had different modes of transmission that led to long-term persistence. Endemic Macquarie Marshes simulations were characterised by rapid transmission caused by high population density that required a fragmented metapopulation to act as a bottleneck to slow transmission. Endemic simulations in Namadgi, with low density and relatively slow transmission, relied on large, well-connected populations coupled with long carcass decay times. Despite the potential for endemic transmission, both settings required potentially unlikely population sizes and dynamics for prolonged disease survival.

A suitable sampling strategy for the detection of African swine fever virus in living and deceased pigs in the field: a retrospective study

African swine fever (ASF) is a fatal disease that threatens the health status of the swine population and thus can impact the economic outcome of the global pig industry. Monitoring the ASF virus (ASFV) is of utmost concern to prevent and control its distribution. This study aims to identify a suitable sampling strategy for ASFV detection in living and deceased pigs under field conditions. A range of samples, comprising tissues obtained from deceased pigs, as well as serum and tonsil swab samples from live pigs, were gathered and subjected to detection using the qPCR method. The findings revealed that the mandibular lymph nodes demonstrated the highest viral loads among superficial tissues, thereby indicating their potential suitability for detecting ASFV in deceased pigs. Additionally, the correlations between virus loads in various tissues have demonstrated that tonsil swab samples are a viable specimen for monitoring live pigs, given the strong associations observed with other tissues. These findings indicated two dependable sample types for the detection of ASFV: mandibular lymph nodes for deceased pigs and tonsil swabs for live pigs, which supply some references for the development of efficacious preventive measures against ASFV.

Genetic Variations of African Swine Fever Virus: Major Challenges and Prospects

African swine fever (ASF) is a contagious viral disease affecting pigs and wild boars. It typically presents as a hemorrhagic fever but can also manifest in various forms, ranging from acute to asymptomatic. ASF has spread extensively globally, significantly impacting the swine industry. The complex and highly variable character of the ASFV genome makes vaccine development and disease surveillance extremely difficult. The overall trend in ASFV evolution is towards decreased virulence and increased transmissibility. Factors such as gene mutation, viral recombination, and the strain-specificity of virulence-associated genes facilitate viral variations. This review deeply discusses the influence of these factors on viral immune evasion, pathogenicity, and the ensuing complexities encountered in vaccine development, disease detection, and surveillance. The ultimate goal of this review is to thoroughly explore the genetic evolution patterns and variation mechanisms of ASFV, providing a theoretical foundation for advancement in vaccine and diagnostic technologies.

African swine fever in wild boar: investigating model assumptions and structure

African swine fever (ASF) is a highly virulent viral disease that affects domestic pigs and wild boar. Current ASF transmission in Europe is in part driven by wild boar populations, which act as a disease reservoir. Wild boar are abundant throughout Europe and are highly social animals with complex social organization. Despite the known importance of wild boar in ASF spread and persistence, knowledge gaps remain surrounding wild boar transmission. We developed a wild boar modelling framework to investigate the influence of contact-density functions and wild boar social structure on disease dynamics. The framework included an ordinary differential equation model, a homogeneous stochastic model and various network-based stochastic models that explicitly included wild boar social grouping. We found that power-law functions (transmission∝ density0.5) and frequency-based contact-density functions were best able to reproduce recent Baltic outbreaks; however, power-law function models predicted considerable carcass transmission, while frequency-based models had negligible carcass transmission. Furthermore, increased model heterogeneity caused a decrease in the relative importance of carcass-based transmission. The transmission pathways predicted by each model type affected the efficacy of idealized interventions, which highlights the importance of evaluating model type and structure when modelling systems with significant uncertainties.

Characterization of the Protective Cellular Immune Response in Pigs Immunized Intradermally with the Live Attenuated African Swine Fever Virus (ASFV) Lv17/WB/Rie1

Candidate vaccines against African swine fever virus (ASFV) based on naturally attenuated or genetically modified viruses have the potential to generate protective immune responses, although there is no consensus on what defines a protective immune response against ASFV. Studies, especially in sensitive host species and focused on unravelling protective mechanisms, will contribute to the development of safer and more effective vaccines. The present study provides a detailed analysis of phenotypic and functional data on cellular responses induced by intradermal immunization and subsequent boosting of domestic pigs with the naturally attenuated field strain Lv17/WB/Rie1, as well as the mechanisms underlying protection against intramuscular challenge with the virulent genotype II Armenia/07 strain. The transient increase in IL-8 and IL-10 in serum observed after immunization might be correlated with survival. Protection was also associated with a robust ASFV-specific polyfunctional memory T-cell response, where CD4CD8 and CD8 T cells were identified as the main cellular sources of virus-specific IFNγ and TNFα. In parallel with the cytokine response, these T-cell subsets also showed specific cytotoxic activity as evidenced by the increased expression of the CD107a degranulation marker. Along with virus-specific multifunctional CD4CD8 and CD8 T-cell responses, the increased levels of antigen experienced in cytotoxic CD4 T cells observed after the challenge in immunized pigs might also contribute to controlling virulent infection by killing mechanisms targeting infected antigen-presenting cells. Future studies should elucidate whether the memory T-cell responses evidenced in the present study persist and provide long-term protection against further ASFV infections.

Disease Course of Korean African Swine Fever Virus in Domestic Pigs Exposed Intraorally, Intranasally, Intramuscularly, and by Direct Contact with Infected Pigs

African swine fever (ASF) is a fatal contagious disease affecting swine. The first Korean ASF virus (ASFV) isolate (Korea/Pig/Paju1/2019) was used to compare the disease course of ASFV in pigs inoculated via the four routes. In the challenge experiment, domestic pigs were infected via the intraoral (IO) and intranasal (IN) routes with a 106 50% hemadsorbing dose (HAD50) and an intramuscular (IM) injection of 103 HAD50. In the direct contact (DC) group, five naïve pigs were brought into direct contact with two IM-ASFV-infected pigs. IO-, IN-, and IM-inoculated pigs showed similar disease courses, whereas DC pigs had comparable ASF syndrome after a 7-day latent period. The disease course in the DC route, one of the most common routes of infection, was not significantly different from that in the IO and IN routes. IM and DC groups differed in terms of the severity of fever and hemorrhagic lesions in the lymph nodes and spleen, indicating that the IM route, suitable for early vaccine development trials, is not appropriate for studying the ASFV infection mechanism, including early stage of infection, and IO and IN challenges with a designated dose can be alternatives in trials for assessing ASFV pathogenicity and vaccine efficacy investigations.

The Production of Recombinant African Swine Fever Virus Lv17/WB/Rie1 Strains and Their In Vitro and In Vivo Characterizations

Lv17/WB/Rie1-Δ24 was produced via illegitimate recombination mediated by low-dilution serial passage in the Cos7 cell line and isolated on PAM cell culture. The virus contains a huge ~26.4 Kb deletion in the left end of its genome. Lv17/WB/Rie1-ΔCD-ΔGL was generated via homologous recombination, crossing two ASFV strains (Lv17/WB/Rie1-ΔCD and Lv17/WB/Rie1-ΔGL containing eGFP and mCherry markers) during PAM co-infection. The presence of unique parental markers in the Lv17/WB/Rie1-ΔCD-ΔGL genome indicates at least two recombination events during the crossing, suggesting that homologous recombination is a relatively frequent event in the ASFV genome during replication in PAM. Pigs infected with Lv17/WB/Rie1-Δ24 and Lv17/WB/Rie1/ΔCD-ΔGL strains have shown mild clinical signs despite that ASFV could not be detected in their sera until a challenge infection with the Armenia/07 ASFV strain. The two viruses were not able to induce protective immunity in pigs against a virulent Armenia/07 challenge.

Increased Presence of Circulating Cell-Free, Fragmented, Host DNA in Pigs Infected with Virulent African Swine Fever Virus

African swine fever virus (ASFV) causes severe hemorrhagic disease in domestic pigs and wild boar, often with high case fatality rates. The virus replicates in the circulating cells of the monocyte-macrophage lineage and within lymphoid tissues. The infection leads to high fever and a variety of clinical signs. In this study, it was observed that ASFV infection in pigs resulted in a >1000-fold increase in the level of circulating cell-free DNA (cfDNA), derived from the nuclei of host cells in the serum. This change occurred in parallel with the increase in circulating ASFV DNA. In addition, elevated levels (about 30-fold higher) of host mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) were detected in the serum from ASFV-infected pigs. For comparison, the release of the cellular enzyme, lactate dehydrogenase (LDH), a commonly used marker of cellular damage, was also found to be elevated during ASFV infection, but later and less consistently. The sera from pigs infected with classical swine fever virus (CSFV), which causes a clinically similar disease to ASFV, were also tested but, surprisingly, this infection did not result in the release of cfDNA, mtDNA, or LDH. It was concluded that the level of cfDNA in the serum is a sensitive host marker of virulent ASFV infection.

The live pig supply chain as reported by farmers in selected districts affected by African swine fever in Uganda, June and July 2022

Introduction

Uganda is a pork-producing country in East Africa. The African swine fever virus (ASFV) has had a devastating impact on the country's pig industry. The movements of pigs and pork are a major pathway of spreading ASFV. This study was done to describe the live pig supply chain within and through districts that are impacted by African swine fever (ASF) in Uganda.

Methods

A pig farmer survey in districts known to have ASFV was done using a semi-structured questionnaire available in English and two local languages. In total, 99 farmers were interviewed across five districts. Farmers were conveniently and purposively selected by local government veterinary officials. An online key informant survey was also used to validate farmer responses.

Results

Most farmers interviewed in all districts reported to source and sell most of their pigs from within their district the farm was in, although there was variation by district and pig type. In relation to pig type, 89.7% of farmers sourced sows, 80.0% sourced boars, and 96.4% sourced weaned pigs from the district where the farm was located. As for sales, 91.3% of farmers sold sows, 92.7% sold boars, 91.9% sold weaned pigs, and 92.2% sold market pigs in the district where the farm was located. There was also variation to whom pigs were sold and sourced by pig type.

Conclusion

This information is useful when planning the scale and focus of disease control programs based on animal movement. This study revealed that pig disease control programs can be targeted to smaller regions. Furthermore, there is a need for farmers and pig traders to be educated on and adhere to veterinary regulations of animal movement and good biosecurity practices to reduce disease spread when purchasing and selling pigs from known ASFV infected areas.

Estimating the effectiveness of control actions on African swine fever transmission in commercial swine populations in the United States

Given the proximity of African swine fever (ASF) to the U.S., there is an urgent need to better understand the possible dissemination pathways of the virus within the U.S. swine industry and to evaluate mitigation strategies. Here, we extended PigSpread, a farm-level spatially-explicit stochastic compartmental transmission model incorporating six transmission routes including between-farm swine movements, vehicle movements, and local spread, to model the dissemination of ASF. We then examined the effectiveness of control actions similar to the ASF national response plan. The average number of secondary infections during the first 60 days of the outbreak was 49 finisher farms, 17 nursery farms, 5 sow farms, and less than one farm in other production types. The between-farm movements of swine were the predominant route of ASF transmission with an average contribution of 71.1%, while local spread and movement of vehicles were less critical with average contributions of 14.6% and 14.4%. We demonstrated that the combination of quarantine, depopulation, movement restrictions, contact tracing, and enhanced surveillance, was the most effective mitigation strategy, resulting in an average reduction of 79.0% of secondary cases by day 140 of the outbreak. Implementing these control actions led to a median of 495,619 depopulated animals, 357,789 diagnostic tests, and 54,522 movement permits. Our results suggest that the successful elimination of an ASF outbreak is likely to require the deployment of all control actions listed in the ASF national response plan for more than 140 days, as well as estimating the resources needed for depopulation, testing, and movement permits under these controls.

Differentiation of African Swine Fever Virus Strains Isolated in Estonia by Multiple Genetic Markers

The African swine fever virus (ASFV) was first detected in Estonia, in September 2014. In the subsequent three years, the virus spread explosively all over the country. Only one county, the island of Hiiumaa, remained free of the disease. Due to the drastic decrease in the wild boar population in the period of 2015-2018, the number of ASFV-positive cases among wild boar decreased substantially. From the beginning of 2019 to the autumn of 2020, no ASFV-positive wild boar or domestic pigs were detected in Estonia. A new occurrence of ASFV was detected in August 2020, and by the end of 2022, ASFV had been confirmed in seven counties in Estonia. Investigations into proven molecular markers, such as IGR I73R/I329L, MGF505-5R, K145R, O174L, and B602L, were performed with the aim of clarifying whether these cases of ASFV were new entries or remnants of previous epidemics. The sequences from the period of 2014-2022 were compared to the Georgia 2007/1 reference sequence and the variant strains present in Europe. The results indicated that not all the molecular markers of the virus successfully used in other geographical regions were suitable for tracing the spread of ASFV in Estonia. Only the B602L-gene analysis enabled us to place the ASFV isolates spreading in 2020-2022 into two epidemiologically different clusters.

Tracing the Origin of Genotype II African Swine Fever Virus in China by Genomic Epidemiology Analysis

The pandemic spread of African swine fever (ASF) has caused serious effects on the global pig industry. Virus genome sequencing and genomic epidemiology analysis play an important role in tracking the outbreaks of the disease and tracing the transmission of the virus. Here we obtained the full-length genome sequence of African swine fever virus (ASFV) in the first outbreak of ASF in China on August 3rd, 2018 and compared it with other published genotype II ASFV genomes including 9 genomes collected in China from September 2018 to October 2020. Phylogenetic analysis on genomic sequences revealed that genotype II ASFV has evolved into different genetic clusters with temporal and spatial correlation since being introduced into Europe and then Asia. There was a strong support for the monophyletic grouping of all the ASFV genome sequences from China and other Asian countries, which shared a common ancestor with those from the Central or Eastern Europe. An evolutionary rate of 1.312 × 10−5 nucleotide substitutions per site per year was estimated for genotype II ASFV genomes. Eight single nucleotide variations which located in MGF110-1L, MGF110-7L, MGF360-10L, MGF505-5R, MGF505-9R, K145R, NP419L, and I267L were identified as anchor mutations that defined genetic clusters of genotype II ASFV in Europe and Asia. This study expanded our knowledge of the molecular epidemiology of ASFV and provided valuable information for effective control of the disease.

Co-created community contracts support biosecurity changes in a region where African swine fever is endemic – Part II: Implementation of biosecurity measures

Smallholder subsistence pig production is common in Uganda and African swine fever (ASF) is endemic in the country, with its spread driven by human activities along the smallholder value chain. Previous research in the study area has revealed that many stakeholders are aware of how ASF is spread, its prevention and control, and have a generally positive attitude towards biosecurity. Despite this, even basic biosecurity is largely lacking. Costs, as well as a lack of adaptation to the local context, culture and traditions have been identified as factors hindering biosecurity implementation. Community engagement and local ownership of disease problems are increasingly recognised as important for improving disease prevention and control. The objective of this study was to investigate the capacity of participatory action at community level with broad inclusion of stakeholders to improve biosecurity in the smallholder pig value chain. Specific attention was paid to participants' perceptions and experiences of implementing the biosecurity measures included in their co-created community contracts. The study was conducted in Northern Uganda in villages purposively selected on the basis of previous occurrences of ASF. In each village, farmers and traders were also purposively selected. At a first meeting, basic information about ASF was shared and participants presented with a list of biosecurity measures adapted for farmers and traders respectively. Participants discussed each measure in farmer and trader subgroups, decided on the measures to implement for one year, and signed a community contract to this effect. The following year, interviews were again undertaken and implementation support given. Interview data were coded and thematically analysed. Each subgroup chose a minimum of three and a maximum of nine measures, with wide variations between villages in their selection of measures. At the follow-ups, none of the subgroups had fully implemented what had been agreed in their contract, but all had changed some of their biosecurity routines. Some frequently recommended biosecurity measures, such as not borrowing breeding boars, were not considered feasible. Relatively simple and cheap biosecurity measures were rejected for reasons of cost, highlighting the participants' general level of poverty and the relevance of poverty as a specific factor governing disease control results. The participatory methodology allowing for discussions, co-creation and the option to refuse measures seemed to facilitate the implementation of measures that had initially been thought to be controversial. The broad community approach was deemed to be positive for strengthening community identity, cooperation and implementation.

CP204L Is a Multifunctional Protein of African Swine Fever Virus That Interacts with the VPS39 Subunit of the Homotypic Fusion and Vacuole Protein Sorting Complex and Promotes Lysosome Clustering

Virus replication depends on a complex interplay between viral and host proteins. In the case of African swine fever virus (ASFV), a large DNA virus, only a few virus-host protein-protein interactions have been identified to date. In this study, we demonstrate that the ASFV protein CP204L interacts with the cellular homotypic fusion and protein sorting (HOPS) protein VPS39, blocking its association with the lysosomal HOPS complex, which modulates endolysosomal trafficking and promotes lysosome clustering. Instead, CP204L and VPS39 are targeted to virus factories and localized at the periphery of the virus DNA replication sites. Furthermore, we show that loss of VPS39 reduces the levels of virus proteins synthesized in the early phase of infection and delays ASFV replication but does not completely inhibit it. Collectively, these results identify a novel virus-host protein interaction that modulates host membrane rearrangement during infection and provide evidence that CP204L is a multifunctional protein engaged in distinct steps of the ASFV life cycle. IMPORTANCE African swine fever virus (ASFV) was first identified over a hundred years ago. Since then, much effort has been made to understand the pathogenesis of ASFV. However, the specific roles of many individual ASFV proteins during the infection remain enigmatic. This study provides evidence that CP204L, one of the most abundant ASFV proteins, modulates endosomal trafficking during virus infection. Through protein-protein interaction, CP204L prevents the recruitment of VPS39 to the endosomal and lysosomal membranes, resulting in their accumulation. Consequently, CP204L and VPS39 become sequestered in the ASFV replication and assembly site, known as the virus factory. These results uncover a novel function of viral protein CP204L and extend our understanding of complex interaction between virus and host.

Magnetic-bead-based DNA-capture-assisted real-time polymerase chain reaction and recombinase polymerase amplification for the detection of African swine fever virus

African swine fever (ASF) is a deadly disease in swine caused by African swine fever virus (ASFV). The global spread of ASFV has resulted in significant economic losses worldwide. Improved early detection has been the most important first line of defense for preventing ASF outbreaks and for activating control measures. Despite the availability of rapid amplification methods, nucleic acid extraction from specimens still needs to be performed in a laboratory. To facilitate this step, we exploited the strong affinity of biotin-streptavidin binding by functionalizing streptavidin-coated magnetic beads with biotinylated oligonucleotide capture probes to efficiently capture genotype II ASFV DNA directly from crude clinical samples. The captured DNA is suitable for detection using real-time quantitative PCR (qPCR) and recombinase polymerase amplification (RPA). In this study, ASFV DNA was efficiently captured from swine feces, serum, and tissue samples. Both DNA-capture-assisted qPCR and RPA-based detection methods have a limit of detection (LOD) of 10² copies/µl, which is comparable to those of commercially available kits. In addition, an RPA-SYBR Green I method was developed for the immediate visual detection of ASFV DNA, which is time-saving and efficient for resource-limited field settings. In summary, a rapid, versatile, sequence-specific DNA capture method was developed to efficiently capture ASFV DNA from swine clinical samples and subsequent detection by qPCR and RPA, which has the potential to be used for robust screening and surveillance of ASFV and in point-of-care (POC) diagnostics.

O-2-Alkylated Cytosine Acyclic Nucleoside Phosphonamidate Prodrugs Display Pan-Genotype Antiviral Activity against African Swine Fever Virus

African swine fever virus (ASFV) causes a highly contagious hemorrhagic disease with case fatality rates approaching 100% in domestic pigs. ASFV is responsible for substantial economic losses, but despite ongoing efforts, no vaccine or antiviral agent is currently available. Attempts to control the spread of ASFV are dependent on early detection, adherence to biosecurity measures, and culling of infected herds. However, an effective antiviral agent may be used in lieu of or in conjunction with a vaccine to effectively curb ASFV outbreaks. The dose-dependent antiviral activities of two amidate prodrugs (compounds 1a and 1b) of O-2-alkylated 3-fluoro-2-(phosphonomethoxy)propyl cytosine [(R)-O-2-alkylated FPMPC] against ASFV isolates of four different genotypes were determined. Both compounds were found to inhibit ASFV progeny virus output by >90% at noncytotoxic concentrations (<25 μM) in primary porcine macrophages. Analysis of viral transcription and viral protein synthesis indicated that these acyclic nucleotide analogues inhibited late gene expression. Interestingly, time-of-addition studies suggest different viral targets of the compounds, which may be attributed to their differing amino acid prodrug moieties. In view of their promising antiviral activity, these nucleotide analogues merit further evaluation as potential prophylactic and/or therapeutic agents against ASFV infection and their antiviral efficacy in vivo should be considered. IMPORTANCE African swine fever virus is a highly contagious hemorrhagic viral disease. Since its transcontinental spread to Georgia in 2007, ASFV has continued to spread across the globe into countries previously without infection. It is responsible for substantial losses in the domestic pig population and presents a significant threat to the global swine industry. Despite ongoing efforts, there are no vaccines currently available; in their absence, antiviral agents may be a viable alternative. The significance of our research is in identifying the pan-genotype antiviral activity of prodrugs of O-2-alkylated 3-fluoro-2-(phosphonomethoxy)propyl cytosine, which will drive further research on the development of these compounds as antivirals against ASFV.

Ten Years of African Swine Fever in Ukraine: An Endemic Form of the Disease in the Wild Boar Population as a Threat to Domestic Pig Production

(1) Background: African swine fever (ASF) has been present in Ukraine for more than ten years (2012-2022). The purpose of our study was to perform a retrospective analysis of the spread of ASF to assess the role of wild boar in the epizootic expansion in Ukraine. (2) Methods: Statistical materials were collected and the epizootic situation of ASF from 2012 to 2022 was examined. The potential sources of the African swine fever virus (ASFV) and transmission factors were analysed. The main factors exerting negative impacts on domestic pig production were also analysed. (3) Results: Consequently, from the results of the retrospective analysis of ASF outbreaks in Ukraine, the probability ratio of ASF outbreaks in the wild boar and domestic pig populations was determined. The data show a direct relationship between ASF outbreaks among wild boar and domestic pigs with the observed decay of wild boar outbreaks across the entire territory of Ukraine. At the same time, an increase in the number of wild boars has been observed in the Mykolaiv region, with a parallel spillover of outbreaks in domestic pigs. (4) Conclusions: The epidemiological situation observed for ASF in the wild boar population may suggest an endemic form of the disease. This may further complicate eradication programs and the protection of domestic pig farms from ASF outbreaks. An additional and major reason to control the ASF epizootic is the continuing military Russian offensive in Ukraine.

Estimating transmission dynamics of African swine fever virus from experimental studies

African swine fever virus (ASFV) continues to spread across the world, and currently, there are no treatments or vaccines available to combat this virus. Reliable estimates of transmission parameters for ASFV are therefore needed to establish effective contingency plans. This study used data from controlled ASFV inoculations of pigs to assess the transmission parameters. Three models were developed with (binary, piecewise-linear and exponential) time-dependent levels of infectiousness based on latency periods of 3-5 days derived from the analysis of 294 ethylenediamine tetraacetic acid-stabilized blood samples originating from 16 pigs with direct and 10 pigs with indirect contact to 8 inoculated pigs. The models were evaluated for three different discrete latency periods of infection. The likelihood ratio test showed that a binary model had an equally good fit for a latency period of 4 or 5 days as the piecewise-linear and exponential model. However, for a latency period of 3 days, the piecewise-linear and exponential models had the best fit. The modelling was done in discrete time as testing was conducted on specific days. The main contribution of this study is the estimation of ASFV genotype II transmission through the air in a confined space. The estimated transmission parameters via air are not much lower than for direct contact between pigs. The estimated parameters should be useful for future simulations of control measures against ASFV.

Genome-Wide Diversity Analysis of African Swine Fever Virus Based on a Curated Dataset

Simple Summary

African swine fever (ASF) is one of the most important animal diseases affecting the domestic swine population globally. Whole-genome sequence analysis on the circulating African swine fever virus (ASFV) strains would provide valuable information in tracking the outbreaks of the disease. The aim of this study was to prepare a curated dataset of ASFV genome sequences and investigate genome-wide diversity of circulating ASFV strains. We prepared a curated dataset containing 123 high-quality ASFV genome sequences representing 10 genotypes collected from 28 countries between 1949 and 2020. Phylogenetic analysis based on whole-genome sequences provided high-resolution topology in genotyping ASFV isolates, which was supported by pairwise genome sequence similarity comparison. Wide distribution and high variation of tandem repeat sequences were found in ASFV genomes. Structural variation and highly variable poly G or poly C tracts were also identified. This study improved our understanding on the patterns of genetic variation of ASFV and facilitated future studies on ASFV molecular epidemiology.

Abstract

African swine fever (ASF) is a lethal contagious viral disease of domestic pigs and wild boars caused by the African swine fever virus (ASFV). The pandemic spread of ASF has had serious effects on the global pig industry. Virus genome sequencing and comparison play an important role in tracking the outbreaks of the disease and tracing the transmission of the virus. Although more than 140 ASFV genome sequences have been deposited in the public databases, the genome-wide diversity of ASFV remains unclear. Here we prepared a curated dataset of ASFV genome sequences by filtering genomes with sequencing errors as well as duplicated genomes. A total of 123 ASFV genome sequences were included in the dataset, representing 10 genotypes collected between 1949 and 2020. Phylogenetic analysis based on whole-genome sequences provided high-resolution topology in differentiating closely related ASFV isolates, and drew new clues in the classification of some ASFV isolates. Genome-wide diversity of ASFV genomes was explored by pairwise sequence similarity comparison and ORF distribution comparison. Tandem repeat sequences were found widely distributed and highly varied in ASFV genomes. Structural variation and highly variable poly G or poly C tracts also contributed to the genome diversity. This study expanded our knowledge on the patterns of genetic diversity and evolution of ASFV, and provided valuable information for diagnosis improvement and vaccine development.

Stochastic modelling of African swine fever in wild boar and domestic pigs: Epidemic forecasting and comparison of disease management strategies

African swine fever (ASF), caused by the African swine fever virus (ASFV), is highly virulent in domestic pigs and wild boar (Sus scrofa), causing up to 100% mortality. The recent epidemic of ASF in Europe has had a serious economic impact and poses a threat to global food security. Unfortunately, there is no effective treatment or vaccine against ASFV, limiting the available disease management strategies. Mathematical models allow us to further our understanding of infectious disease dynamics and evaluate the efficacy of disease management strategies. The ASF Challenge, organised by the French National Research Institute for Agriculture, Food, and the Environment, aimed to expand the development of ASF transmission models to inform policy makers in a timely manner. Here, we present the model and associated projections produced by our team during the challenge. We developed a stochastic model combining transmission between wild boar and domestic pigs, which was calibrated to synthetic data corresponding to different phases describing the epidemic progression. The model was then used to produce forward projections describing the likely temporal evolution of the epidemic under various disease management scenarios. Despite the interventions implemented, long-term projections forecasted persistence of ASFV in wild boar, and hence repeated outbreaks in domestic pigs. A key finding was that it is important to consider the timescale over which different measures are evaluated: interventions that have only limited effectiveness in the short term may yield substantial long-term benefits. Our model has several limitations, partly because it was developed in real-time. Nonetheless, it can inform understanding of the likely development of ASF epidemics and the efficacy of disease management strategies, should the virus continue its spread in Europe.

Optimizing response to an introduction of African swine fever in wild pigs

African swine fever virus (ASFv) is a virulent pathogen that threatens domestic swine industries globally and persists in wild boar populations in some countries. Persistence in wild boar can challenge elimination and prevent disease-free status, making it necessary to address wild swine in proactive response plans. In the U.S., invasive wild pigs are abundant and found across a wide range of ecological conditions that could drive different epidemiological dynamics among populations. Information on size of control areas required to rapidly eliminate ASFv in wild pigs and how this area should change with management constraints and local ecology are needed to optimize response planning. We developed a spatially-explicit disease transmission model contrasting wild pig movement and contact ecology in two ecosystems in southeastern U.S. We simulated ASFv spread and determined optimal response area (reported as radius of a circle) for eliminating ASFv rapidly over a range of detection times (when ASFv is detected relative to true date of introduction), culling capacities (proportion of wild pigs in the culling zone removed weekly), and wild pig densities. Large radii for response areas (14 km) were needed under most conditions but could be shortened with early detection (≤ 8 weeks) and high culling capacities (≥ 15% weekly). Under most conditions ASFv was eliminated in less than 22 weeks using optimal control radii, although ecological conditions with high rates of wild pig movement required higher culling capacities (≥ 10% weekly) for elimination within one year. Results highlight the importance of adjusting response plans based on local ecology and show wild pig movement is a better predictor of optimal response area than numbers of ASFv cases early in the outbreak trajectory. Our framework provides a tool for determining optimal control plans in different areas, guiding expectations of response impacts, and planning resources needed for rapid elimination. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.

Immunobiological Characteristics of the Attenuated African Swine Fever Virus Strain Katanga-350

The African swine fever virus (ASFV) is the cause of a recent pandemic that is threatening the global pig industry. The virus infects domestic and wild pigs and manifests with a variety of clinical symptoms, depending on the strain. No commercial vaccine is currently available to protect animals from this virus, but some attenuated and recombinant live vaccine candidates might be effective against the disease. This article describes the immunobiological characteristics of one such candidate—the laboratory-attenuated ASFV strain, Katanga-350—which belongs to genotype I. In this study, we assessed clinical signs and post-mortem changes, the levels of viremia and the presence of viral DNA caused by injection of ASF virus strains Katanga-350, Lisbon-57, and Stavropol 08/01. Intramuscular injection of this strain protected 80% of pigs from a virulent strain of the same genotype and seroimmunotype (Lisbon-57). At least 50% of the surviving pigs received protection from subsequent intramuscular infection with a heterologous (genotype II, seroimmunotype VIII) virulent strain (Stavropol 08/01). Virus-specific antibodies were detectable in serum and saliva samples between 8–78 days after the first inoculation of the Katanga-350 strain (the observational period). The results suggested that this strain could serve as a basis for the development of a recombinant vaccine against ASF viruses belonging to seroimmunotype I.

[Problems of specific prevention of African swine fever]

This review presents the current state of the problem of development and application of the specific prevention of African swine fever (ASF) with a brief description of its etiology and pathogenesis. The unique nature of the ASF virus (ASFV) determines some limitations and the complexity of solving the problem of vaccine development. Such situation stimulated the development of highly specific diagnostic methods for rapid and accurate detection of the ASFV. In this regard, results of studies, including our own, concerning the comparative analysis of the genome of vaccine and virulent strains of the ASFV, as well as immunodiagnostic approaches to determine causes of high virulence and low protective activity of the ASFV, are briefly presented. Special attention is given to the issue related to the development of safe and effective vaccines against ASF. In this context disadvantages and possible advantages of live attenuated (LAV) and recombinant (RV) vaccines are considered in details. Results of recent studies on the assessment of the immunogenicity of genetically modified vaccines (GMV) which developed in various laboratories around the world are presented. The obtained data indicate that ASF vaccination is currently the most promising measure to stop the spread of this disease in our country and in the world, however, previous experience with ASF vaccination has revealed some problems in its development and application. The significant contribution of foreign researchers to the study of the basics of virulence of this pathogen and the study of its genes functions are noted. The possible further expansion of ASF in Europe and Asia in bordering Russia territories, as well as the established fact of the persistence of ASFV in wild boar population indicate a constant threat of its re-introduction into our country. In conclusion, the importance of developing a safe effective vaccine against ASF and the assessing of the possible risks of creating the artificial sources of the infection in nature as a result of its use is emphasized.

SPR-Based Detection of ASF Virus in Cells

African swine fever (ASF) is one of the most dangerous hemorrhagic infectious diseases that affect domestic and wild pigs. Currently, neither a vaccine nor effective treatments are available for this disease. As regards the degree of virulence, ASFV strains can be divided into high, moderate, or low virulence. The main detection methods are based on the use of the polymerase chain reaction (PCR). In order to prevent an uncontrolled spread of ASF, new on-site techniques that can enable the identification of an early-stage disease are needed. We have developed a specific immunological SPR-based assay for ASFV antigen detection directly in liquid samples. The developed assay allows us to detect the presence of ASFV at the dose of 10³ HAD₅₀/_mL.

Impact of ASFV Detergent Inactivation on Biomarkers in Serum and Saliva Samples

African swine fever (ASF) is a notifiable viral disease of domestic and wild suids. Despite intensive research efforts, the pathogenesis of the disease is still far from being understood. Analysis of biomarkers in different body fluids may supplement traditional pathogenesis studies. As reliable protocols are often established in laboratories with lower biosafety, the reliable inactivation of samples is crucial. The objective of this study was to find a procedure that inactivates the virus while preserving the biomarkers for downstream analyses. To this means, three different inactivation protocols were employed, namely Tergitol-type NP-40 (NP-40), polyoxyethylene-p-t-octylphenol (Triton X-100) and one with 95 °C heating. It could be demonstrated that all samples treated with 0.5% (v/v) concentration of both detergents showed an absence of virus infectivity. The same was true for heated samples. However, heated serum was not suitable for analyses. Next, the impact of treatment on biomarker readouts was assessed. While all protocols had an impact on the detection of biomarkers, correlation was retained. In particular, NP-40 may be the desired detergent for more accurate measurements while achieving efficient virus inactivation. Based on these studies, samples can be reliably inactivated for most biomarker analyses, and thus broader interdisciplinary cooperation is possible.

Experimental Infections of Pigs with African Swine Fever Virus (Genotype II); Studies in Young Animals and Pregnant Sows

African swine fever is an important viral disease of wild and domestic pigs. To gain further knowledge of the properties of the currently circulating African swine fever virus (ASFV), experimental infections of young pigs (approximately 8 weeks of age) and pregnant sows (infected at about 100 days of gestation) with the genotype II ASFV Georgia/2007 were performed. The inoculated young pigs developed typical clinical signs of the disease and the infection was transmitted (usually within 3–4 days) to all of the “in contact” animals that shared the same pen. Furthermore, typical pathogical lesions for ASFV infection were found at necropsy. Inoculation of pregnant sows with the same virus also produced rapid onset of disease from post-infection day three; two of the three sows died suddenly on post-infection day five, while the third was euthanized on the same day for animal welfare reasons. Following necropsy, the presence of ASFV DNA was detected in tonsils, spleen and lymph nodes of some of the fetuses, but the levels of viral DNA were much lower than in these tissues from the sows. Thus, only limited transplacental transmission occurred during the course of this experiment. These studies contribute towards further understanding about the spread of this important viral disease in domestic pigs.

Effects of the NF-κB Signaling Pathway Inhibitor BAY11-7082 in the Replication of ASFV

African swine fever virus (ASFV) mainly infects the monocyte/macrophage lineage of pigs and regulates the production of cytokines that influence host immune responses. Several studies have reported changes in cytokine production after infection with ASFV, but the regulatory mechanisms have not yet been elucidated. Therefore, the aim of this study was to examine the immune response mechanism of ASFV using transcriptomic and proteomic analyses. Through multi-omics joint analysis, it was found that ASFV infection regulates the expression of the host NF-B signal pathway and related cytokines. Additionally, changes in the NF-κB signaling pathway and IL-1β and IL-8 expression in porcine alveolar macrophages (PAMs) infected with ASFV were examined. Results show that ASFV infection activates the NF-κB signaling pathway and up-regulates the expression of IL-1β and IL-8. The NF-κB inhibitor BAY11-7082 inhibited the expression profiles of phospho-NF-κB p65, p-IκB, and MyD88 proteins, and inhibited ASFV-induced NF-κB signaling pathway activation. Additionally, the results show that the NF-κB inhibitor BAY11-7082 can inhibit the replication of ASFV and can inhibit IL-1β and, IL-8 expression. Overall, the findings of this study indicate that ASFV infection activates the NF-κB signaling pathway and up-regulates the expression of IL-1β and IL-8, and inhibits the replication of ASFV by inhibiting the NF-κB signaling pathway and interleukin-1 beta and interleukin-8 production. These findings not only provide new insights into the molecular mechanism of the association between the NF-κB signaling pathway and ASFV infection, but also indicate that the NF-κB signaling pathway is a potential immunomodulatory pathway that controls ASF.

Prevention and Control of African Swine Fever in the Smallholder Pig Value Chain in Northern Uganda: Thematic Analysis of Stakeholders' Perceptions

African swine fever (ASF) is endemic in Uganda and considered a major constraint to pig production. In the absence of a vaccine, biosecurity is key for ASF prevention and control. To improve prevention and control on farm and community level there is need for more knowledge on current application of biosecurity practises, and better understanding of how pig value chain actors perceive prevention and control. To achieve this, a qualitative interview study involving focus group discussions (FGD) was conducted with actors from the smallholder pig value chain in northern Uganda. Six villages were purposively selected based on previous outbreaks of ASF, preliminary perceived willingness to control ASF, and the representation of several different value chain actors in the village. Results indicated that biosecurity practises such as basic hygiene routines including safe carcass handling, minimising direct and indirect contacts between pigs or between pigs and people, trade restrictions and sharing of disease information were implemented in some of the villages. Thematic analysis based on grounded theory revealed six categories of data relating to ASF prevention and control. Together these categories form a logical framework including both enablers and hindrances for ASF prevention and control. In summary participants mostly had positive perceptions of ASF biosecurity, describing measures as effective. Participants further possessed knowledge of ASF and its transmission, some of which was in line with known scientific knowledge and some not. Nevertheless, participants were hindered from preventing and controlling ASF due to biosecurity costs and a need to prioritise family livelihood over disease transmission risks, incompatibility of current biosecurity practises with local culture, traditions and social contexts and finally lack of access to veterinarians or, occasionally, low-quality veterinary services. The constraints could be addressed by applying participatory processes in designing biosecurity measures to ensure better adaptation to local cultural and social contexts.

How do genetic relatedness and spatial proximity shape African swine fever infections in wild boar?

The importance of social and spatial structuring of wildlife populations for disease spread, though widely recognized, is still poorly understood in many host-pathogen systems. In particular, system specific kin relationships among hosts can create contact heterogeneities and differential disease transmission rates. Here, we investigate how distance-dependent infection risk is influenced by genetic relatedness in a novel host-pathogen system: wild boar (Sus scrofa) and African swine fever (ASF). We hypothesized that infection risk would correlate positively with proximity and relatedness to ASF-infected individuals but expected those relationships to weaken with distance between individuals due to decay in contact rates and genetic similarity. We genotyped 323 wild boar samples (243 ASF-negative and 80 ASF-positive) collected in north-eastern Poland in 2014-2016 and modeled the effects of geographic distance, genetic relatedness, and ASF virus transmission mode (direct or carcass-based) on the probability of ASF infection. Infection risk was positively associated with spatial proximity and genetic relatedness to infected individuals with generally stronger effect of distance. In the high-contact zone (0-2 km), infection risk was shaped by the presence of infected individuals rather than by relatedness to them. In the medium-contact zone (2-5 km), infection risk decreased but was still associated with relatedness and paired infections were more frequent among relatives. At farther distances, infection risk further declined with relatedness and proximity to positive individuals, and was 60% lower among unrelated individuals in the no-contact zone (33% in10-20 km) compared with among relatives in the high-contact zone (93% in 0-2 km). Transmission mode influenced the relationship between proximity or relatedness and infection risk. Our results indicate that the presence of nearby infected individuals is most important for shaping ASF infection rates through carcass-based transmission, while relatedness plays an important role in shaping transmission rates between live animals. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.

Understanding the transmission of African swine fever in wild boars of South Korea: A simulation study for parameter estimation

Since the introduction of African swine fever (ASF) to Georgia in 2007, the disease has spread to many other countries including South Korea. Initial detection of ASF from wild boars (WB) in South Korea was reported in early October 2019. Since then, more than a thousand WB samples collected from the northern part of the country have been confirmed as ASF positive (2.9% of ASF positivity among WB samples collected until June 2020), indicating that the disease is endemic in the WB populations. To control the disease, multiple layers of fence-lines have been erected. Nevertheless, outbreaks continuously occurred across the fence, requiring a better understanding of the spatial transmission mechanism of ASF in WBs. Hence, we developed a novel ASF transmission model to estimate ecological and epidemiological parameters related to the spread of the disease in the WB population of South Korea. The results showed that roads and rivers were effective to prevent the spread, reducing the transmission rate to approximately 37% on average. Only a limited level of reduction was indicated via fence-lines, implying erection of fences might be considered as a temporary measure to delay the spread. This study also revealed that the probability of ASF transmission to adjacent habitats considerably decreased with increasing distance, supporting the slow spatial transmission speed reported from other European countries. Considering that elucidation of ASF dynamics in WB is crucial to mitigate the impact of the disease, we believe this study provides some useful ecological and epidemiological implications to control the disease in future.

Identification of African Swine Fever Virus Transcription within Peripheral Blood Mononuclear Cells of Acutely Infected Pigs

African swine fever virus (ASFV) has become widespread in Europe, Asia and elsewhere, thereby causing extensive economic losses. The viral genome includes nearly 200 genes, but their expression within infected pigs has not been well characterized previously. In this study, four pigs were infected with a genotype II strain (ASFV POL/2015/Podlaskie); blood samples were collected before inoculation and at both 3 and 6 days later. During this period, a range of clinical signs of infection became apparent in the pigs. From the blood, peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) were isolated. The transcription of the ASFV genes was determined using RNAseq on poly(A)+ mRNAs isolated from these cells. Only very low levels of virus transcription were detected in the PBMCs at 3 days post-inoculation (dpi) but, at 6 dpi, extensive transcription was apparent. This was co-incident with a large increase in the level of ASFV DNA within these cells. The pattern of the virus gene expression was very reproducible between the individual pigs. Many highly expressed genes have undefined roles. Surprisingly, some genes with key roles in virus replication were expressed at only low levels. As the functions of individual genes are identified, information about their expression becomes important for understanding their contribution to virus biology.

Towards Efficient Early Warning: Pathobiology of African Swine Fever Virus "Belgium 2018/1" in Domestic Pigs of Different Age Classes

Simple Summary

African swine fever (ASF) is a devastating viral disease of both wild boar and domestic pigs. Historically, the disease was mainly found in Sub-Saharan Africa. However, after the introduction of ASF into Georgia in 2007, the fatal disease spread to many European and Asian countries. In the absence of vaccines or treatment options, early detection of disease incursions is of paramount importance to limit the impact on animal health and pig industry. Thus, the biological characteristics of circulating virus strains must be known and communicated to practitioners and official veterinarians. Along these lines, the ASFV strain found in Belgium in 2018 was further characterized for its disease course in young and subadult domestic pigs. In general, clinical and pathological findings were in line with previous experiments utilizing highly virulent ASFV genotype II strains. However, in one of our experimental infections, four out of eight subadult domestic pigs showed milder signs and recovered, which was unexpected and points to an age dependency of clinical signs that could impact the early recognition of ASF incursions. We hope that communication of the available data will help practical and official veterinarians in the field to detect ASF as early as possible and thus minimize its impact.

Abstract

African swine fever (ASF) is one of the most important and devastating viral diseases in wild boar and domestic pigs worldwide. In the absence of vaccines or treatment options, early clinical detection is crucial and requires a sound knowledge of disease characteristics. To provide practitioners and state veterinarians with detailed information, the objective of the present study was to characterize the ASF virus (ASFV) isolate “Belgium 2018/1” in subadult and weaning domestic pigs. To this end, two animal trials were performed. Trial A included eight subadult domestic pigs and trial B five weaner pigs. In general, clinical signs and pathological lesions were in line with previous studies utilizing highly virulent ASF genotype II viruses. However, in trial A, four subadult domestic pigs survived and recovered, pointing to an age-dependent outcome. The long-term fate of these survivors remains under discussion and would need further investigation.

African Swine Fever in Smallholder Sardinian Farms: Last 10 Years of Network Transmission Reconstruction and Analysis

African swine fever (ASF) is a viral disease of suids that frequently leads to death. There are neither licensed vaccines nor treatments available, and even though humans are not susceptible to the disease, the serious socio-economic consequences associated with ASF have made it one of the most serious animal diseases of the last century. In this context, prevention and early detection play a key role in controlling the disease and avoiding losses in the pig value chain. Target biosecurity measures are a strong strategy against ASF virus (ASFV) incursions in farms nowadays, but to be efficient, these measures must be well-defined and easy to implement, both in commercial holdings and in the backyard sector. Furthermore, the backyard sector is of great importance in low-income settings, mainly for social and cultural practices that are highly specific to certain areas and communities. These contexts need to be addressed when authorities decide upon the provisions that should be applied in the case of infection or decide to combine them with strict preventive measures to mitigate the risk of virus spread. The need for a deeper understanding of the smallholder context is essential to prevent ASFV incursion and spread. Precise indications for pig breeding and risk estimation for ASFV introduction, spread and maintenance, taking into account the fact that these recommendations would be inapplicable in some contexts, are the keys for efficient target control measures. The aim of this work is to describe the 305 outbreaks that occurred in domestic pigs in Sardinia during the last epidemic season (2010-2018) in depth, providing essential features associated with intensive and backyard farms where the outbreaks occurred. In addition, the study estimates the average of secondary cases by kernel transmission network. Considering the current absence of ASF outbreaks in domestic pig farms in Sardinia since 2018, this work is a valid tool to specifically estimate the risk associated with different farm types and update our knowledge in this area.

Dynamics of African swine fever virus (ASFV) infection in domestic pigs infected with virulent, moderate virulent and attenuated genotype II ASFV European isolates

This study aimed to compare the infection dynamics of three genotype II African swine fever viruses (ASFV) circulating in Europe. Eighteen domestic pigs divided into three groups were infected intramuscularly or by direct contact with two haemadsorbent ASFVs (HAD) from Poland (Pol16/DP/ OUT21) and Estonia (Est16/WB/Viru8), and with the Latvian non-HAD ASFV (Lv17/WB/Rie1). Parameters, such as symptoms, pathogenicity, and distribution of the virus in tissues, humoral immune response, and dissemination of the virus by blood, oropharyngeal and rectal routes, were investigated. The Polish ASFV caused a case of rapidly developing fatal acute disease, while the Estonian ASFV caused acute to sub-acute infections and two animals survived. In contrast, animals infected with the ASFV from Latvia developed a more subtle, mild, or even subclinical disease. Oral excretion was sporadic or even absent in the attenuated group, whereas in animals that developed an acute or sub-acute form of ASF, oral excretion began at the same time the ASFV was detected in the blood, or even 3 days earlier, and persisted up to 22 days. Regardless of virulence, blood was the main route of transmission of ASFV and infectious virus was isolated from persistently infected animals for at least 19 days in the attenuated group and up to 44 days in the group of moderate virulence. Rectal excretion was limited to the acute phase of infection. In terms of diagnostics, the ASFV genome was detected in contact pigs from oropharyngeal samples earlier than in blood, independently of virulence. Together with blood, both samples could allow to detect ASFV infection for a longer period. The results presented here provide quantitative data on the spread and excretion of ASFV strains of different virulence among domestic pigs that can help to better focus surveillance activities and, thus, increase the ability to detect ASF introductions earlier.

African swine fever endemic persistence in wild boar populations: Key mechanisms explored through modelling

African swine fever (ASF) is a serious global concern from an ecological and economic point of view. While it is well established that its main transmission routes comprise contact between infected and susceptible animals and transmission through contaminated carcasses, the specific mechanism leading to its long‐term persistence is still not clear. Among others, a proposed mechanism involves the potential role of convalescent individuals, which would be able to shed the virus after the end of the acute infection. Using a spatially explicit, stochastic, individual‐based model, we tested: (1) if ASF can persist when transmission occurs only through infected wild boars and infected carcasses; (2) if the animals that survive ASF can play a relevant role in increasing ASF persistence chances; (3) how hunting pressure can affect the ASF probability to persist. The scenario in which only direct and carcass‐mediated transmission were contemplated had 52% probability of virus persistence 10 years after the initial outbreak. The inclusion of survivor‐mediated transmission corresponded to slightly higher persistence probabilities (57%). ASF prevalence during the endemic phase was generally low, ranging 0.1–0.2%. The proportion of seropositive individuals gradually decreased with time and ranged 4.5–6.6%. Our results indicate that direct and carcass‐mediated infection routes are sufficient to explain and justify the long‐term persistence of ASF at low wild boar density and the ongoing geographic expansion of the disease front in the European continent. During the initial years of an ASF outbreak, hunting should be carefully evaluated as a management tool, in terms of potential benefits and negative side‐effects, and combined with an intensive effort for the detection and removal of wild boar carcasses. During the endemic phase, further increasing hunting effort should not be considered as an effective strategy. Additional effort should be dedicated to finding and removing as many wild boar carcasses as possible.

Pathogenicity of an African swine fever virus strain isolated in Vietnam and alternative diagnostic specimens for early detection of viral infection

Background

African swine fever (ASF), caused by the ASF virus (ASFV), was first reported in Vietnam in 2019 and spread rapidly thereafter. Better insights into ASFV characteristics and early detection by surveillance could help control its spread. However, the pathogenicity and methods for early detection of ASFV isolates from Vietnam have not been established. Therefore, we investigated the pathogenicity of ASFV and explored alternative sampling methods for early detection.

Results

Ten pigs were intramuscularly inoculated with an ASFV strain from Vietnam (titer, 10^3.5 HAD₅₀/mL), and their temperature, clinical signs, and virus excretion patterns were recorded. In addition, herd and environmental samples were collected daily. The pigs died 5–8 days-post-inoculation (dpi), and the incubation period was 3.7 ± 0.5 dpi. ASFV genome was first detected in the blood (2.2 ± 0.8) and then in rectal (3.1 ± 0.7), nasal (3.2 ± 0.4), and oral (3.6 ± 0.7 dpi) swab samples. ASFV was detected in oral fluid samples collected using a chewed rope from 3 dpi. The liver showed the highest viral loads, and ear tissue also exhibited high viral loads among 11 tissues obtained from dead pigs. Overall, ASFV from Vietnam was classified as peracute to acute form. The rope-based oral fluid collection method could be useful for early ASFV detection and allows successful ASF surveillance in large pig farms. Furthermore, ear tissue samples might be a simple alternative specimen for diagnosing ASF infection in dead pigs.

Conclusions

Our data provide valuable insights into the characteristics of a typical ASFV strain isolated in Vietnam and suggest an alternative, non-invasive specimen collection strategy for early detection.

Mechanistic modelling of African swine fever: A systematic review

The spread of African swine fever (ASF) poses a grave threat to the global swine industry. Without an available vaccine, understanding transmission dynamics is essential for designing effective prevention, surveillance, and intervention strategies. These dynamics can often be unraveled through mechanistic modelling. To examine the assumptions on transmission and objectives of the mechanistic models of ASF, a systematic review of the scientific literature was conducted. Articles were examined across multiple epidemiological and model characteristics, with filiation between models determined through the creation of a neighbor-joined tree using phylogenetic software. Thirty-four articles qualified for inclusion, with four main modelling objectives identified: estimating transmission parameters (11 studies), assessing determinants of transmission (7), examining consequences of hypothetical outbreaks (5), assessing alternative control strategies (11). Population-based (17), metapopulation (5), and individual-based (12) model frameworks were represented, with population-based and metapopulation models predominantly used among domestic pigs, and individual-based models predominantly represented among wild boar. The majority of models (25) were parameterized to the genotype II isolates currently circulating in Europe and Asia. Estimated transmission parameters varied widely among ASFV strains, locations, and transmission scale. Similarly, parameter assumptions between models varied extensively. Uncertainties on epidemiological and ecological parameters were usually accounted for to assess the impact of parameter values on the modelled infection trajectory. To date, almost all models are host specific, being developed for either domestic pigs or wild boar despite the fact that spillover events between domestic pigs and wild boar are evidenced to play an important role in ASF outbreaks. Consequently, the development of more models incorporating such transmission routes is crucial. A variety of codified and hypothetical control strategies were compared however they were all a priori defined interventions. Future models, built to identify the optimal contributions across many control methods for achieving specific outcomes should provide more useful information for policy-makers. Further, control strategies were examined in competition with each other, which is opposed to how they would actually be synergistically implemented. While comparing strategies is beneficial for identifying a rank-order efficacy of control methods, this structure does not necessarily determine the most effective combination of all available strategies. In order for ASFV models to effectively support decision-making in controlling ASFV globally, these modelling limitations need to be addressed.

Predicting high-risk areas for African swine fever spread at the wild-domestic pig interface in Ontario

The probability of disease transmission among livestock premises via spillover from wildlife vectors depends on interacting ecological, demographic, and behavioural variables. Wild pigs (Sus scrofa) act as vectors and reservoirs of many diseases, including African Swine Fever (ASF), a highly lethal and contagious viral disease that affects both wild and domestic swine. Wild pigs play a significant role in the spread of ASF in geographic locations where the disease is present. Planning and preparedness will ensure that swift action can be taken to control ASF if it is introduced into North America. We used a network to predict the highest risk areas for ASF spread in Ontario, Canada given the distribution of wild pig sightings and other risk factors for wild pig presence and movement on the landscape. We used network nodes to represent the presence of domestic pig farms in a defined area, and we weighted network edges by the probability of ASF virus movement between nodes via movement of wild pigs. Our network models predicted that central Ontario has relatively high network closeness, suggesting that this area has a relatively high risk of virus exposure. These highly connected areas tended to also have the highest domestic pig farm density within a node. Central and eastern Ontario had the highest predicted network betweenness, suggesting that these areas are important for controlling virus flow across the province. We detected 10 communities or clusters within the overall network, where nodes were highly connected locally and relatively less connected to the rest of the network. Predicting areas with a high risk of exposure to the ASF virus due to wild pig movement in Ontario will guide managers on where to focus surveillance for ASF in the wild pig population and where to heighten biosecurity within commercial and backyard pig farms, ensuring that managers are prepared to act quickly to limit spread of ASF if the virus is introduced.

Blood Counts, Biochemical Parameters, Inflammatory, and Immune Responses in Pigs Infected Experimentally with the African Swine Fever Virus Isolate Pol18_28298_O111

This study aimed to indicate the influence of infection caused by genotype II African swine fever virus (ASFV)–isolate Pol18_28298_O111, currently circulating in Poland, on blood counts, biochemical parameters, as well as inflammatory and immune responses. Blood and sera collected from 21 domestic pigs infected intranasally with different doses of virulent ASFV were analysed. The infection led to variable changes in blood counts depending on the stage of the disease with a tendency towards leukopenia and thrombocytopenia. The elevated C-reactive protein (CRP) concentrations and microscopic lesions in organs confirmed the development of the inflammation process, which also resulted in an increased level of biochemical markers such as: Aspartate transaminase (AST), creatine kinase (CK), creatinine, and urea. Antibodies could be detected from 9 to 18 days post infection (dpi). Two survivors presented the highest titer of antibodies (>5 log₁₀/mL) with a simultaneous increase in the lymphocyte T (CD3+) percentage–revealed by flow cytometry. Results confirmed a progressive inflammatory process occurring during the ASFV infection, which may lead to multiple organs failure and death of the majority of affected animals.

High Doses of Inactivated African Swine Fever Virus Are Safe, but Do Not Confer Protection against a Virulent Challenge

African swine fever (ASF) is currently the major concern of the global swine industry, as a consequence of which a reconsideration of the containment and prevention measures taken to date is urgently required. A great interest in developing an effective and safe vaccine against ASF virus (ASFV) infection has, therefore, recently appeared. The objective of the present study is to test an inactivated ASFV preparation under a vaccination strategy that has not previously been tested in order to improve its protective effect. The following have been considered: (i) virus inactivation by using a low binary ethyleneimine (BEI) concentration at a low temperature, (ii) the use of new and strong adjuvants; (iii) the use of very high doses (6 × 10⁹ haemadsorption in 50% of infected cultures (HAD₅₀)), and (iv) simultaneous double inoculation by two different routes of administration: intradermal and intramuscular. Five groups of pigs were, therefore, inoculated with BEI- Pol16/DP/OUT21 in different adjuvant formulations, twice with a 4-week interval. Six weeks later, all groups were intramuscularly challenged with 10 HAD₅₀ of the virulent Pol16/DP/OUT21 ASFV isolate. All the animals had clinical signs and pathological findings consistent with ASF. This lack of effectiveness supports the claim that an inactivated virus strategy may not be a viable vaccine option with which to fight ASF.

Experimental infection of indigenous North African goats with goatpox virus

Background

Goatpox is a viral disease caused by infection with goatpox virus (GTPV) of the genus Capripoxvirus, Poxviridae family. Capripoxviruses cause serious disease to livestock and contribute to huge economic losses. Goatpox and sheeppox are endemic to Africa, particularly north of the Equator, the Middle East and many parts of Asia. GTPV and sheeppox virus are considered host-specific; however, both strains can cause clinical disease in either goats or sheep with more severe disease in the homologous species and mild or sub-clinical infection in the other. Goatpox has never been reported in Morocco, Algeria or Tunisia despite the huge population of goats living in proximity with sheep in those countries. To evaluate the susceptibility and pathogenicity of indigenous North African goats to GTPV infection, we experimentally inoculated eight locally bred goats with a virulent Vietnamese isolate of GTPV. Two uninfected goats were kept as controls. Clinical examination was carried out daily and blood was sampled for virology and for investigating the antibody response. After necropsy, tissues were collected and assessed for viral DNA using real-time PCR.

Results

Following the experimental infection, all inoculated goats displayed clinical signs characteristic of goatpox including varying degrees of hyperthermia, loss of appetite, inactivity and cutaneous lesions. The infection severely affected three of the infected animals while moderate to mild disease was noticed in the remaining goats. A high antibody response was developed. High viral DNA loads were detected in skin crusts and nodules, and subcutaneous tissue at the injection site with cycle threshold (Ct) values ranging from 14.6 to 22.9, while lower viral loads were found in liver and lung (Ct = 35.7 and 35.1). The results confirmed subcutaneous tropism of the virus.

Conclusion

Clinical signs of goatpox were reproduced in indigenous North African goats and confirmed a high susceptibility of the North African goat breed to GTPV infection. A clinical scoring system is proposed that can be applied in GTPV vaccine efficacy studies.

ASF Exit Strategy: Providing cumulative evidence of the absence of African swine fever virus circulation in wild boar populations using standard surveillance measures

EFSA assessed the role of seropositive wild boar in African swine fever (ASF) persistence. Surveillance data from Estonia and Latvia investigated with a generalised equation method demonstrated a significantly slower decline in seroprevalence in adult animals compared with subadults. The seroprevalence in adults, taking more than 24 months to approach zero after the last detection of ASFV circulation, would be a poor indicator to demonstrate the absence of virus circulation. A narrative literature review updated the knowledge on the mortality rate, the duration of protective immunity and maternal antibodies and transmission parameters. In addition, parameters potentially leading to prolonged virus circulation (persistence) in wild boar populations were reviewed. A stochastic explicit model was used to evaluate the dynamics of virus prevalence, seroprevalence and the number of carcasses attributed to ASF. Secondly, the impact of four scenarios on the duration of ASF virus (ASFV) persistence was evaluated with the model, namely a: (1) prolonged, lifelong infectious period, (2) reduction in the case-fatality rate and prolonged transient infectiousness; (3) change in duration of protective immunity and (4) change in the duration of protection from maternal antibodies. Only the lifelong infectious period scenario had an important prolonging effect on the persistence of ASF. Finally, the model tested the performance of different proposed surveillance strategies to provide evidence of the absence of virus circulation (Exit Strategy). A two-phase approach (Screening Phase, Confirmation Phase) was suggested for the Exit Strategy. The accuracy of the Exit Strategy increases with increasing numbers of carcasses collected and tested. The inclusion of active surveillance based on hunting has limited impact on the performance of the Exit Strategy compared with lengthening of the monitoring period. This performance improvement should be reasonably balanced against an unnecessary prolonged 'time free' with only a marginal gain in performance. Recommendations are provided for minimum monitoring periods leading to minimal failure rates of the Exit Strategy. The proposed Exit Strategy would fail with the presence of lifelong infectious wild boar. That said, it should be emphasised that the existence of such animals is speculative, based on current knowledge.

With or without a Vaccine-A Review of Complementary and Alternative Approaches to Managing African Swine Fever in Resource-Constrained Smallholder Settings

The spectacular recent spread of African swine fever (ASF) in Eastern Europe and Asia has been strongly associated, as it is in the endemic areas in Africa, with free-ranging pig populations and low-biosecurity backyard pig farming. Managing the disease in wild boar populations and in circumstances where the disease in domestic pigs is largely driven by poverty is particularly challenging and may remain so even in the presence of effective vaccines. The only option currently available to prevent ASF is strict biosecurity. Among small-scale pig farmers biosecurity measures are often considered unaffordable or impossible to implement. However, as outbreaks of ASF are also unaffordable, the adoption of basic biosecurity measures is imperative to achieve control and prevent losses. Biosecurity measures can be adapted to fit smallholder contexts, culture and costs. A longer-term approach that could prove valuable particularly for free-ranging pig populations would be exploitation of innate resistance to the virus, which is fully effective in wild African suids and has been observed in some domestic pig populations in areas of prolonged endemicity. We explore available options for preventing ASF in terms of feasibility, practicality and affordability among domestic pig populations that are at greatest risk of exposure to ASF.

Spatiotemporal clustering and Random Forest models to identify risk factors of African swine fever outbreak in Romania in 2018-2019

African swine fever (ASF) has affected Romania since July 2017, with considerable economic and social consequences, despite the implementation of control measures mainly based on stamping out of infected pig populations. On the basis of the 2973 cumulative recorded cases up to September 2019 among wild boars and domestic pigs, analysis of the epidemiological characteristics could help to identify the factors favoring the persistence and spread of ASF. A statistical framework, based on a random forest methodology, was therefore developed to assess the spatiotemporal features of the epidemics and their relationships with environmental, human, and agricultural factors. The landscape of Romania was associated with the infection dynamics, particularly concerning forested and wetland areas. Waterways were also identified as a pivotal factor, raising questions about possible waterborne transmission since these waterways are often used as a water supply for backyard holdings. However, human activity was clearly identified as the main risk factor for the spread of ASF. Although the situation in Romania cannot be directly transposed to intensive pig farming countries, the findings of this study highlight the need for strict biosecurity measures on farms, and during transportation, to avoid ASF transmission at large geographic and temporal scales.

Experimental infection of pigs with different doses of the African swine fever virus Armenia 07 strain by intramuscular injection and direct contact

We experimentally infected pigs with the African swine fever virus (ASFV) Armenia 07 strain (genotype II) to analyze the effect of different dose injections on clinical manifestations, virus-shedding patterns, histopathology, and transmission dynamics by direct contact. Each three pigs and four pigs were injected intramuscularly with 0.1 fifty percent hemadsorbing doses (HAD₅₀)/ml, 10¹ HAD₅₀/ml and 10⁶ HAD₅₀/ml of ASFV Armenia 07 strain, respectively. Each two of three pigs injected with 0.1 HAD₅₀/ml and 10¹ HAD₅₀/ml died by 10 days post inoculation. All pigs had a gross lesion of splenomegaly. Perigastric and renal lymph nodes were enlarged and resembled blood clots in nine of ten pigs. It was revealed that 0.1 HAD₅₀/ml of this ASFV was sufficient to infect healthy pigs by intramuscular injection and caused sub-acute lethal disease. For the transmission study, two 8-week-old pigs were injected intramuscularly with 10³ HAD₅₀/ml of the same virus. Each of the experimentally inoculated pigs was co-housed with two 8-week-old naive pigs. All contact pigs exhibited clinical manifestations at 6 or 7 days after the experimentally inoculated pigs developed pyrexia. These findings suggest that this strain may spread slowly within a herd. Histologically, lymph nodes resembled blood clots were formed by severe blood absorption and followed hemorrhage result of disruption of the lymphoid sinus filling with absorbed red blood cells. The severity of the gross and histological lesions depended on duration after infection, regardless of the difference of injection doses in this study.

Whole-genome-based phylogeny of African swine fever virus

Aim

A genome-scale phylogenetic analysis was used to infer the evolutionary dynamics of Asfarviridae - African swine fever virus (ASFV) - and better define its genetic diversity.

Materials and Methods

All complete ASFV genomes from NCBI's resource as of March 2020 were used. The phylogenetic analysis used maximum likelihood and neighbor-joining methods. The evolutionary models detection was done with the help of the package of programs MEGA-X. Algorithms were used to build phylogenetic trees for type B DNA polymerases of ASFV (n=34) and HcDNAV (n=2), as an external group.

Results

An expedient categorization of the Asfarviridae family uses five clades. Genotype 1 (except for LIV 5/40 virus isolate) as well genotype 7 are assigned to the alpha clade; genotype 2 to the beta clade; genotypes 8, 9, and 10 to the gamma clade; genotype 5 to the delta clade; and genotypes 3, 4, and 20, as well as genotype 22 and the LIV 5/40 isolate to the epsilon clade. Branch lengths on the phylogenetic tree are proportional to genetic distance along the branch. Branches at the phylogenetic tree of Asfarviridae are much shorter than branches for Baculoviridae. Shorter branches in ASFVs population suggest that Asfarviridae evolved relatively recently and remain more closely related.

Conclusion

We suggest applying more robust standards using whole genomes to ensure the correct classification of ASFV and maintain phylogeny as a useful tool.

Mechanical transmission of African swine fever virus by Stomoxys calcitrans: Insights from a mechanistic model

African swine fever (ASF) represents a global threat with huge economic consequences for the swine industry. Even though direct contact is likely to be the main transmission route from infected to susceptible hosts, recent epidemiological investigations have raised questions regarding the role of haematophagous arthropods, in particular the stable fly (Stomoxys calcitrans). In this study, we developed a mechanistic vector-borne transmission model for ASF virus (ASFV) within an outdoor domestic pig farm in order to assess the relative contribution of stable flies to the spread of the virus. The model was fitted to the ecology of the vector, its blood-feeding behaviour and pig-to-pig transmission dynamic. Model outputs suggested that in a context of low abundance (<5 flies per pig), stable flies would play a minor role in the spread of ASFV, as they are expected to be responsible for around 10% of transmission events. However, with abundances of 20 and 50 stable flies per pig, the vector-borne transmission would likely be responsible for almost 30% and 50% of transmission events, respectively. In these situations, time to reach a pig mortality of 10% would be reduced by around 26% and 40%, respectively. The sensitivity analysis emphasized that the expected relative contribution of stable flies was strongly dependent on the volume of blood they regurgitated and the infectious dose for pigs. This study identified crucial knowledge gaps that need to be filled in order to assess more precisely the potential contribution of stable flies to the spread of ASFV, including a quantitative description of the populations of haematophagous arthropods that could be found in pig farms, a better understanding of blood-feeding behaviours of stable flies and the quantification of the probability that stable flies partially fed with infectious blood transmit the virus to a susceptible pig during a subsequent blood-feeding attempt.

Clinical symptoms of African swine fever in domestic pig farms in the Republic of Korea, 2019

This study describes the clinical characteristics of the African swine fever (ASF) outbreaks in 14 domestic pig farms in the Republic of Korea. ASF outbreak was identified by farmers' notifications in 11 farms and by active surveillance in the remaining three. At the time of notification, farmers reported sudden death, abortion and anorexia in sows. Death was the primary symptom identified by farmers in fattener pigs. The number of animals exhibiting clinical symptoms did not exceed four heads at notification, and the number of asymptomatic virus positives was four heads per farm on average. As ASF virus was detected only in the same pig house (in a pen for fattener pigs) in each of 14 ASF outbreak farms, there has been no evidence of house-to-house viral spread within any of the ASF outbreak farms. This in turn supports our hypothesis that infection was successfully detected during its initial phase.