African swine fever: pathogenicity and immunogenicity of two non-haemadsorbing viruses

The virulence of 2 non-haemadsorbing African swine fever virus isolates were compared with 2 haemodsorbing viruses. While 3 of these isolates usually produced acute death in pigs, 1 non-haemadsorbing virus caused either a fatal infection with an extended course, or few or no obvious signs of infection. Pigs that survived infection with the latter virus were resistant to the lethal effects of the other 3 strains as well as to a pool of 7 isolates made from Ornithodorus porcinus porcinus (senus Walton, 1964) and warthog obtained in the Northern Transvaal.     

African swine fever. II. Functional disturbances of thrombocytes in pigs infected with virulent haemadsorbing and non-haemadsorbing virus isolates

Increased bleeding time, impaired blood clot retraction and decreased thrombocyte aggregation were observed in pigs infected with virulent haemadsorbing and non-haemadsorbing African swine fever virus isolates. These changes appeared to be more frequent and more severe in pigs infected with the haemadsorbing virus isolates than in those infected with the non-haemadsorbing isolate. Moreover, the onset and severity of these changes followed the numerical decrease and morphological damage to these cells apparent in the last 2-3 days of the disease.     

Diversity of African swine fever virus

An African swine fever virus is an heterogeneous population, consisting of clones having different biological characteristics in respect to hemadsorption, virulence, infectivity, plaque size, and antigenic determinants. The following observations were made: Nonhemadsorbing virus (NHV) have been segregated from field isolates from Haiti (HT-1) and a bone marrow- and buffy coat-passaged Portuguese isolate (L'60BM89BC1) and appear as a major, minor, or equal mixture with hemadsorbing viruses in the virus population. Biological characteristics of the virus inoculated into pigs often differed from viruses isolated later from the same pigs. Virulence and nonhemadsorbing characteristics of isolated clones were genetically stable. The lethal effect of 2 NHV clones of L'60BM89BC1 virus was dose-dependent; small doses of virus induced immunologic deaths or recoveries from the clinical disease in pigs, and large doses induced acute deaths. The NHV of Lisbon isolate of 1960 (L'60) and HT-1 isolate share the same antigenic determinants for inducing protection. Tengani isolate contained clones of distinctly different antigenic determinants, not shared by L'60 or HT-1 isolate that enabled it to overcome the protection induced by the other clones. Passaging of an African swine fever virus isolate in pigs or cell cultures may readily alter the proportions of the different clones in the population and thereby change its overall characteristics. A new virus population with atypical hemadsorption was found in HT-1 field isolate and L'60BM89BC1 virus.     

African swine fever. I. Morphological changes and virus replication in blood platelets of pigs infected with virulent haemadsorbing and non-haemadsorbing isolates

Replicating and mature viral particles were detected with the transmission electron microscope in blood platelets of pigs infected with virulent haemadsorbing and non-haemadsorbing African swine fever virus isolates. Although platelet numbers decreased terminally in infected pigs, the most noticeable morphological damage to these cells apparent in the last 2 days of the disease included cytoplasmic swelling, vacuolation, fragmentation and loss of dense granules.     

猪瘟病毒FJFQ-39株的毒力鉴定

为探索一种相对客观、稳定的方法鉴定猪瘟病毒(CSFV)FJFQ-39株的毒力.本研究采用2×103TCID50的FJFQ-39株分别肌肉接种6头敏感猪,通过RT-nPCR 检测扁桃体和血液监测动物感染情况,对动物临床症状和病理变化进行系统评分,结合体温分析,判定病毒毒力.同时用相同剂量的石门株接种4头敏感猪作对照.FJFQ-39和石门接种猪的扁桃体和血液均检测到CSFV核酸;FJFQ-39接种猪的最大临床症状评分(CS)平均值为3.53.5±1.0、病理评分(PS)平均值为3.3±0.9(低于5),平均最高体温为39.3±0.2℃(低于40℃);石门接种猪的最大CS平均值为25.5±2.1、PS平均值为29.5±2.4(大于15),平均最高体温为41.8±0.2℃(高于41.0℃).实验结果表明:猪瘟病毒FJFQ-39株和石门株均成功感染了动物;评分系统结合体温测定评价CSFV毒力是可行的;FJFQ-39 属于低毒力株,而石门属于强毒株.     

Swine fever: classical swine fever and African swine fever.

Because of the clinical and pathologic similarity to common endemic diseases, introduction of CSFV or ASFV strains of moderate to low virulence represents the greatest risk to North American swine herds. Producers, veterinarians, and diagnosticians should increase their awareness of these devastating diseases and request specific diagnostic testing whenever they are suspected. Production practices that improve biosecurity will reduce the risk of introduction of CSF and ASF and limit the spread if an incursion occurs. Additional resources. The following Web sites contain excellent color photographs that will assist producers and practitioners in identifying clinical signs and gross lesions associated with CSFV and ASFV: http://www.vet.uga.edu/vpp/gray_book/FAD and http://www.pighealth.com. The latter Web site and the OIE Web site (http://www.oie.int) offer updated information on current worldwide epizootics of ASF and CSF and other swine diseases. Details of biosecurity procedures can be found at http://www.agebb.missouri.edu; see publication G2340.     

Neutralization of African swine fever virus by sera from African swine fever-resistant pigs

Sera from African swine fever-resistant pigs with infection-inhibitory activity decreased virus replication in infected porcine buffy coat cultures. This same effect was observed even after virus was adsorbed. The infection-inhibition was not reversed by removing the immune serum from the assay cultures. Reduction of African swine fever virus replication by immune sera was demonstrated by fluorescent focus assay on MS cell line cultures. Virus-neutralization tests showed a persistent fraction of non-neutralized virus, which was not demonstrable by infection-inhibition tests. One hypothesis for explaining this difference is proposed.     

Detection of African swine fever virus antibodies by immunoblotting assay.

An immunoblotting assay has been adapted to detect antibodies against African swine fever virus. The electrophoretic transfer of proteins and the immunoreaction conditions were optimized, using 4 mA/cm2 of current intensity and 10 micrograms of soluble cytoplasmic antigen of infected cells per strip. Filters of polyvinylidene difluoride showed the highest capacity for protein absorption, but nitrocellulose filters showed lower backgrounds. The specificity and the pattern of the proteins induced by African swine fever virus that react with the antisera were determined in immunoblotting assay, IP30 being the most reactive protein.     

Coagulation changes in African swine fever virus infection

Pigs were infected with highly virulent (Tengani '62), with moderately virulent (DR '79) African swine fever (ASF) virus, or with virulent hog cholera (HC) virus. Changes in platelet counts, selected coagulation assays and concentrations of factor VIII-related antigen (VIIIR:Ag) were monitored. Permeability of aortic endothelium was studied after the injection of Evan's blue dye on various days after infection with DR '79 ASF virus. Virulent ASF virus caused prolongation of the activated partial thromboplastin time (APTT), 1-stage prothrombin time, and thrombin clotting time as early as postinoculation day (PID) 4. These changes became progressively more severe until death. Both virulent HC and DR'79 viruses induced an increase APPT and thrombin clotting time at PID 3 to 4, only occasionally did the prothrombin time increased significantly (P less than 0.01). The APPT began to decrease on PID 7 and 8, but only DR'79-infected pigs lived long enough to regain a normal APTT. Infection by ASF viruses caused acute thrombocytopenia after PID 6 and platelet counts of HC virus-infected pigs decreased progressively from the onset of fever to levels of 1 to 2 X 10(5)/mm3 at PID 6 to 7. All ASF virus-infected pigs had an increase in VIIIR:Ag beginning at PID 3, with maximum increases at PID 6 to 7. Hog cholera virus infection did not cause consistent changes in levels of VIIIR:Ag. Pigs infected with DR'79 virus did not have increased vascular permeability to Evan's blue dye during infection; however, there was markedly decreased staining of the aorta after pigs became thrombocytopenic.     

Pathogenesis of African swine fever virus in Ornithodoros ticks

African swine fever virus (ASFV) is the only known DNA arbovirus and the sole member of the family Asfarviridae. It causes a lethal, hemorrhagic disease in domestic pigs. ASFV is enzootic in sub-Saharan Africa and is maintained in a sylvatic cycle by infecting both wild members of the Suidae (e.g. warthogs) and the argasid tick Ornithodoros porcinus porcinus. The pathogenesis of ASFV in O. porcinus porcinus ticks is characterized by a low infectious dose, lifelong infection, efficient transmission to both pigs and ticks, and low mortality until after the first oviposition. ASFV pathogenesis in warthogs is characterized by an inapparent infection with transient, low viremic titers. Thus O. porcinus porcinus ticks probably constitute the most important natural vector of ASFV, although both the mammalian and tick hosts are probably required for the maintenance of ASFV in the sylvatic cycle. The mechanism of ASFV transmission from the sylvatic cycle to domestic pigs is probably through infected ticks feeding on pigs. In addition to O. porcinus porcinus, a number of North American, Central American and Caribbean species of Ornithodoros have been shown to be potential vectors of ASFV.     

Inhibitory effect of African swine fever virus on lectin-dependent swine lymphocyte proliferation

The incubation of swine peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) with African swine fever (ASF) virus preparations strongly inhibited the proliferative response of lymphocytes to PHA and other lectins. The inhibition, which persisted after inactivation of the virus by UV radiation, was dependent upon the dose and the time that virus preparations were present in cultures. When virus preparations were fractionated by ultracentrifugation, the inhibitory activity resulted to be soluble, whereas no activity was found in the sedimented viral fraction. However, the preincubation during 4 days of this sedimented fraction with swine PBMC, before the addition of the mitogen, restored the inhibitory activity. The results obtained suggest that the inhibition is mediated by one or more soluble factors released by swine PBMC after coincubation with ASF virus in a time dependent process. These factors show a molecular weight between 40 and 80 kDa by gel filtration chromatography. The inhibitory activity described in the present paper is an indication of inhibition of lymphocyte function produced by ASF virus which can help to understand how this virus escapes from the host immune system.     

1株非洲猪瘟病毒自然变异毒株的鉴定

非洲猪瘟(ASF)于2018年传入我国后已流行了2年有余,我国非洲猪瘟病毒(ASFV)毒株未曾出现较大变异.最近,针对我国ASF疫情放缓以及感染猪出现的低死亡率现象,我们在ASFV生态学研究中,从主动监测的样品中分离到1株源自湖北某地的ASFV自然变异株.经基因组测序发现,其EP402R基因(CD2v)和上游相邻的EP...     

Prevalence of African swine fever virus and classical swine fever virus antibodies in pigs in Benue State,Nigeria

Tropical Animal Health and Production - This study investigated the prevalence of African swine fever virus (ASFV) and classical swine fever virus (CSFV) antibodies in pigs in Benue State, Nigeria....     

非典型性猪瘟病毒云南株/石门株嵌合病毒的构建和拯救

为研究猪瘟病毒(CSFV)云南株(YN株)突变位点在致非典型性猪瘟中的作用,本研究在CSFV石门株全长感染性克隆的基础上,利用分子克隆技术,将CSFV YN株的1 510位～1 532位、2 471位～2 658位、3 152位～3 176位和11 785位～11 816位突变位点基因序列替换CSFV石门株的相应基因序列,构建出嵌合的CSFV感染性克隆质粒pAC-SM-YN。全基因测序鉴定后,体外转录得到病毒RNA,经脂质体转染PK-15细胞方法拯救出了嵌合病毒vSM-YN。经直接荧光染色、对突变位点RT-PCR以及ELISA检测表明拯救嵌合病毒vSM-YN传代稳定。本研究为研究CSFV结构蛋白、病毒致病机理、新型疫苗,尤其是非典型猪瘟的致病机理奠定了基础。     

非洲猪瘟病毒传播方式及控制措施

非洲猪瘟(African swine fever,ASF)是由非洲猪瘟病毒(African swine fever virus,ASFV)引起的一种急性、热性、高度传染性疫病,感染猪以发热和全身性出血为主要特征,病程短、病死率高。非洲猪瘟主要流行于非洲国家,随后相继传入西欧、南美洲、东欧,以及亚洲国家,对全球养猪业、食品安全和猪及其产品国际贸易产生了严重危害和深远影响。现结合参考文献和我国非洲猪瘟发生、控制情况,分析了非洲猪瘟病毒传播动力学、传播方式,提出防控非洲猪瘟的主要措施。