African Swine Fever Virus (ASFV)
A topical collection in Viruses (ISSN 1999-4915). This collection belongs to the section "Animal Viruses".
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Editor
Topical Collection Information
Dear Colleagues,
In recent years, African swine fever (ASF) has become one of the most feared infectious diseases affecting swine production and the commercialization of swine-derived products across many geographical regions of the world. The etiological agent, the ASF virus (ASFV), is a large, structurally complex virus with a double-stranded DNA genome encoding over 150 proteins. Although this disease was originally identified in the 1920s, research on ASF has dramatically intensified during the last ten years. This Topical Collection of Viruses will cover different aspects of ASFV research, with special emphasis on reports focused on the molecular mechanisms mediating virus virulence, virus pathogenesis in domestic and wild swine, the host immune responses involved in protection against infection, the development of different types of experimental vaccines, the molecular bases of virus replication, viral structure, and novel/improved diagnostic methodologies. Contributions will be accepted in the form of original research reports, reviews covering specific aspects of ASF research, and opinion articles.
This collection of Viruses expects to offer scientists working on ASF a forum to share high-quality research in a variety of thematic areas.
Dr. Manuel Borca
Collection Editor
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Keywords
- ASF
- ASFV
- virus virulence
- pathogenesis in natural hosts
- protective host immune response
- vaccine development
- virus replication
- virus structure/morphogenesis
- ASF diagnostics
Related Special Issues
Published Papers (6 papers)
Open AccessArticle
Beyond Crisis Response: A Roundtable on Long-Term Strategies for Managing African Swine Fever
by
Lisa Rogoll, Katja Schulz, Jana Schulz, Jonas Brock and Hans-Hermann Thulke
Viewed by 105
Abstract
Today, African swine fever (ASF) continues to spread in European wild boar populations, while existing management strategies respond to an animal health emergency. The current disease scenario, characterised by constant re-emergence and persistence of infection, poses a fundamental social problem for the future
[...] Read more.
Today, African swine fever (ASF) continues to spread in European wild boar populations, while existing management strategies respond to an animal health emergency. The current disease scenario, characterised by constant re-emergence and persistence of infection, poses a fundamental social problem for the future of ASF policy in the affected regions. A World Café workshop was organised with veterinary epidemiology experts from practice, academia and governance. The aim was to explore the problems caused by ASF in Germany for the various stakeholders and to gather perspectives for the long-term management of ASF. The panel of experts linked the unintended extension of the animal health emergency concept to the tensions between the various stakeholders and the risk of system fatigue. Sustainable management approaches need to balance rapid response to outbreaks with long-term management efforts. The experts emphasised the importance of risk-based strategies, stakeholder involvement and evidence-based policies in ASF management. The expert panel also highlighted the need for transparent communication to increase public trust and acceptance. The need for more flexible approaches requires a more open discussion about the intractable challenges posed by the long-term presence of ASF, the adequacy of existing regulations and possible visions for the future.
Full article
Open AccessBrief Report
Deletion of the African Swine Fever Virus Gen I196L in the Georgia2010 Isolate Genome Does Not Affect Virus Replication or Virulence in Domestic Pigs
by
Elizabeth Ramirez-Medina, Paul A. Azzinaro, Alyssa Valladares, Ediane Silva, Leeanna Burton, Leandro Sastre, Vivian O’Donnell, James J. Zhu, Douglas P. Gladue and Manuel V. Borca
Viewed by 93
Abstract
African swine fever (ASF) is a lethal disease of domestic pigs that is currently challenging swine production in large areas of Eurasia and the Caribbean. The causative agent, ASF virus (ASFV), is a large, double-stranded, and structurally complex virus. The ASFV genome encodes
[...] Read more.
African swine fever (ASF) is a lethal disease of domestic pigs that is currently challenging swine production in large areas of Eurasia and the Caribbean. The causative agent, ASF virus (ASFV), is a large, double-stranded, and structurally complex virus. The ASFV genome encodes for more than 160 proteins; however, the functions of most of them are still in the process of being characterized. Recently, ASFV gene
I196L has been reported as being critically involved in disease production in domestic pigs. We report here that a recombinant virus derived from the Georgia 2010 isolate (ASFV-G) lacking the
I196L gene, ASFV-G-∆I196L, had the same ability to replicate in primary cultures of swine macrophage and, when experimentally inoculated in pigs, produced a fatal form of the disease similar to that caused by the parental virulent ASFV-G. Therefore, deletion of the
I196L gene does not significantly affect virus replication and virulence in domestic pigs of the ASFV Georgia 2010 isolate.
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Open AccessArticle
Genetic Profiles of Ten African Swine Fever Virus Strains from Outbreaks in Select Provinces of Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao, Philippines, Between 2021 and 2023
by
Andrew D. Montecillo, Zyne K. Baybay, Jimwel Bryan Christopher Ferrer, Wreahlen Cariaso, Airish Pantua, John Paulo Jose, Rachel Madera, Jishu Shi, Karla Cristine Doysabas, Alan Dargantes, Kassey Alsylle T. Dargantes, Anna Rochelle A. Boongaling, Alfredo P. Manglicmot, Lucille C. Villegas and Homer D. Pantua
Viewed by 264
Abstract
An African Swine Fever (ASF) outbreak was first recorded in the Philippines in July 2019. Since then, the disease has spread across provinces in Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao, causing severe economic consequences for the country’s swine industry. Here, we report the genome sequencing
[...] Read more.
An African Swine Fever (ASF) outbreak was first recorded in the Philippines in July 2019. Since then, the disease has spread across provinces in Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao, causing severe economic consequences for the country’s swine industry. Here, we report the genome sequencing of ASF virus strains from outbreaks in several provinces of the Philippines between 2021 and 2023, using a long-read tiled amplicon sequencing approach. The coding-complete genomes generated ranged from 187,609 to 189,540 bp in length, with GC contents of 38.4% to 38.5%. Notably, a strain from the Bataan province had a 1.9 kb deletion at the 5′-end, affecting several coding regions. The strains were characterized using 13 genes and regions; namely the
B646L gene, the CD2v serogroup, the central variable region (CVR) of the
B602L gene, the intergenic region (IGR) between the
I73R and
I329L genes, the IGR between
A179L and
A137R,
O174L,
K145R,
Bt/
Sj,
J268L, and
ECO2, the multigene family (MGF) 505-5R, and the MGF 505-9R and 10R regions. The ASFV strains were mostly related to Asian and European p72 genotype II strains. Genetic profiling provides valuable information on the diversity of local strains of ASFV in the Philippines, which are useful for epidemiology, diagnostics, and vaccine development.
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Open AccessSystematic Review
A Systematic Literature Review of Variables Associated with the Occurrence of African Swine Fever
by
Sofie Dhollander, Eleonora Chinchio, Stefania Tampach, Lina Mur, Estelle Méroc, Hans-Hermann Thulke, José Abrahantes Cortiñas, Anette E. Boklund, Karl Stahl and Jan Arend Stegeman
Viewed by 993
Abstract
Since African swine fever virus (ASFV) genotype II reached Europe in 2007 and has widely spread, causing important economic losses to the pig production sector. To guide policy and management actions, robust quantitative evidence about possible explanatory variables associated with ASF in domestic
[...] Read more.
Since African swine fever virus (ASFV) genotype II reached Europe in 2007 and has widely spread, causing important economic losses to the pig production sector. To guide policy and management actions, robust quantitative evidence about possible explanatory variables associated with ASF in domestic pigs and Eurasian wild boar (
Sus scrofa) is needed. To this aim, a systematic literature review of the scientific evidence available on variables analysed through quantitative methods investigating their possible association with ASF occurrence was carried out in 2021 and updated in 2024. Information on article metadata, study settings, and details of the analysed variables were extracted from the identified articles. The variables were structured in categories and subcategories, and their frequencies were evaluated, as well as the proportions of the studied variables that proved significant in each subcategory. The literature search retrieved 569 articles, resulting in 48 inclusions in the review after application of the selection criteria. The categories of variables most often significantly associated with the occurrence of ASF in domestic pigs were related to the ASF virus infection pressure in the area, socio-economic factors (mainly human population density and poverty), the pig farming system (pig or farm density and certain biosecurity practises), and wild boar habitats. For wild boars, these were also variables related to ASFV infection pressure in the area, wild boar habitats (mainly climatic conditions, vegetation, waterbodies), and socio-economic factors (especially human population and poverty-related variables). Despite the many studies of variables possibly associated with ASF occurrence, the review identified a gap in quantitative observational studies focusing on manageable variables, i.e., those related to specific biosecurity measures applied to pig farms and during hunting. To allow for a meta-analysis of the results, these studies should be performed according to standardised protocols using harmonised data collections.
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Open AccessArticle
The Influence of the Temperature on Effectiveness of Selected Disinfectants Against African Swine Fever Virus (ASFV)
by
Małgorzata Juszkiewicz, Marek Walczak, Grzegorz Woźniakowski, Zygmunt Pejsak and Katarzyna Podgórska
Viewed by 924
Abstract
African swine fever (ASF) is one of the most economically significant diseases of pigs caused by African swine fever virus (ASFV). Due to the lack of effective and safe vaccines, one of the crucial measures to protect farms from the introduction of the
[...] Read more.
African swine fever (ASF) is one of the most economically significant diseases of pigs caused by African swine fever virus (ASFV). Due to the lack of effective and safe vaccines, one of the crucial measures to protect farms from the introduction of the ASFV is to apply a strict regime of biosecurity and disinfection. However, in field conditions, the activity of disinfectants may be influenced by temperature, resulting in reduced activity or biodegradation (i.e., freezing or evaporating). The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of a wide range of temperatures on the virucidal activity of selected active substances commonly used against ASFV. Eight active substances were tested, namely: sodium hypochlorite (1.0%), glutaraldehyde (0.1%), potassium peroxysulfate (0.5%), caustic soda (1.0%), phenol (1.0%), acetic acid (3.0%), benzalkonium chloride (1.0%), and formaldehyde (0.4%). The virucidal activity of each compound was tested at different temperatures (21, −10, and −20 °C for 30 min) and compared to the initial virus titer under the same temperature conditions. Exposure to a range of temperatures did not significantly affect the virucidal efficacy of tested active substances against ASFV. Most of the evaluated substances had reduced virus titers ≥ 4 log
10, regardless of the temperature. However, two of them (benzalkonium chloride and acetic acid) were sensitive to sub-zero temperatures, showing a lack of the required 4 log
10 virus titer reduction. The conducted study showed that temperature could hamper the virucidal effect of selected substances (i.e., benzalkonium chloride and acetic acid), showing their moderate efficacy against ASFV −10 °C and −20 °C. The results suggest that extreme caution should be taken while applying these substances at sub-zero temperatures. The other substances had no significant sensitivity to the temperature range. Nevertheless, in the case of freezing the agent, insufficient penetration of the disinfected surface may occur, which may result in an ineffective disinfection process.
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Open AccessBrief Report
Assessment of the Effect of Deleting the African Swine Fever Virus Gene R298L on Virus Replication and Virulence of the Georgia2010 Isolate
by
Elizabeth Ramirez-Medina, Lauro Velazquez-Salinas, Alyssa Valladares, Ediane Silva, Leeanna Burton, Douglas P. Gladue and Manuel V. Borca
Viewed by 948
Abstract
African swine fever (ASF) is a lethal disease of domestic pigs that is currently challenging swine production in large areas of Eurasia. The causative agent, ASF virus (ASFV), is a large, double-stranded and structurally complex virus. The ASFV genome encodes for more than
[...] Read more.
African swine fever (ASF) is a lethal disease of domestic pigs that is currently challenging swine production in large areas of Eurasia. The causative agent, ASF virus (ASFV), is a large, double-stranded and structurally complex virus. The ASFV genome encodes for more than 160 proteins; however, the functions of most of these proteins are still in the process of being characterized. The ASF gene
R298L, which has previously been characterized as able to encode a functional serine protein kinase, is expressed late in the virus infection cycle and may be part of the virus particle. There is no description of the importance of the
R298L gene in basic virus functions such as replication or virulence in the natural host. Based on its evolution, it is proposed that there are four different phenotypes of
R298L of ASFV in nature, which may have potential implications for
R298L functionality. We report here that a recombinant virus lacking the
R298L gene in the Georgia 2010 isolate, ASFV-G-∆R298L, does not exhibit significant changes in its replication in primary cultures of swine macrophages. In addition, when experimentally inoculated in pigs, ASFV-G-∆R298L induced a fatal form of the disease similar to that caused by the parental virulent ASFV-G. Therefore, deletion of
R298L does not significantly affect virus replication and virulence in domestic pigs of the ASFV Georgia 2010 isolate.
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