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.     

African swine fever and classical swine fever: a review of the pathogenesis

This paper describes major pathogenetic mechanisms of African and Classical Swine Fever virus infections. The interactions between both viruses and the monocyte-macrophage-system result in the release of mediator molecules, which are important for the further progression of the diseases. The causes of the thrombocytopenia and the mechanisms of the haemorrhages, which are characteristic in both infections, are described. Apoptotic cell death is regarded as the predominant cause of lymphopenia in both virus infections.     

A sensitive dot immunobinding assay for serodiagnosis of African swine fever virus with application in field conditions.

The present work describes a simple dot immunobinding assay (DIA) for African swine fever virus (ASFV) antibody detection that can be used under field conditions. The assay uses nitrocellulose strips dotted with a cytoplasmic soluble antigen (CS-P) of ASFV. The nitrocellulose strips are adhered to a plastic handle. The test serum samples react with the CS-P, and antibodies are detected using a protein A-peroxidase conjugate. Both incubations are carried out at 20 C. The efficacy of the DIA as a screening test for ASFV was compared to an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) and an immunoblotting (IB) test using 343 sera collected from natural African swine fever epizootics and from inapparent ASFV carriers. The DIA had comparable sensitivity to both reference techniques, and all samples positive in the ELISA and IB test were also positive in the DIA. False-positive reactions were not detected when whole blood or poorly preserved serum samples were tested by DIA. Some poorly preserved sera that were positive initially by the ELISA were no longer ELISA positive in a later run, although they were positive in IB and DIA. These positive DIA and IB test results could be caused by the differences in antibody epitope binding.     

Inhibition of African swine fever infection in the presence of immune sera in vivo and in vitro

In assay cultures, sera from African swine fever convalescent pigs inhibited infection by homologous African swine fever virus. The infection-inhibition capacity did not correspond with the virus-neutralizing capacity. The serum did not prevent infection by heterologous virulent viruses. Sera from pigs challenge inoculated with the homologous virulent virus and later with a heterologous virulent virus inhibited the infection by different heterologous virulent viruses. These sera did not interfere with the infection by pseudorabies virus. The specificity of the reaction indicated that the infection inhibition was caused by antibody.     

Mechanism of thrombocytopenia in African swine fever

Pigs were inoculated with an African swine fever (ASF) isolate of moderate virulence, and the changes in the number of circulating blood platelets during infection were correlated with the appearance of antiviral antibody and fluctuations in total plasma hemolytic complement concentrations. Thrombocytopenia was detected by postinoculation days (PID) 7 and 8, and antiviral antibody was detected by PID 7, using an indirect immunofluorescence technique. The total hemolytic complement concentration was moderately and transiently decreased from PID 5 to 9, but was consistently low from PID 18 to 26. Pigs inoculated with an ASF virus isolate of greater virulence had a decrease in platelet counts on PID 6 and 7, and the total plasma hemolytic complement levels decreased in all pigs by PID 6 to 7. Antibody to ASF virus was not detected in pigs inoculated with the more virulent isolate. Pigs sensitized to ASF viral antigen with an inactivated-virus vaccine or by previous infection with ASF were challenge exposed. Sensitized pigs became clinically ill and thrombocytopenic by 24 to 72 hours earlier than did inoculated, nonsensitized pigs. Vaccinated pigs inoculated with homologous virus had lower blood virus concentrations than did nonvaccinated pigs. African swine fever virus-sensitized pigs inoculated with heterologous virus had a higher fatality rate than did nonsensitized pigs, and the pigs died peracutely, with only a few gross lesions in evidence. In vitro experiments demonstrated that ASF virus antigen induced platelet aggregation in platelet-rich plasma from recovered, nonviremic pigs. Viral antigen, antibody, or complement was not demonstrable on the surface of platelets from pigs inoculated with ASF virus isolate, by direct immunofluorescence testing.     

规模猪场防控非洲猪瘟的生物安全措施

猪场的生物安全措施对该场的疫病预防和控制起到了非常重要的作用。文章介绍了在非洲猪瘟背景下,猪场需要在人员生物安全意识、猪群健康、猪场入口处、猪场出口处、猪场车辆管理等方面需要采取的一系列生物安全措施。供大家参考,以期提升猪场的生物安全管理水平,提高猪场疫病预防控制能力。     

非洲猪瘟背景下的中国猪育种

2018年8月,沈阳发生我国第一起非洲猪瘟疫情,尔后在不到一年的时间内,非洲猪瘟疫情以星火燎原之势迅速传遍大江南北,由于猪场恐慌抛售或大量清场,导致我国生猪存栏量迅速下降,据官方统计,生猪的存栏量减少了1/3至1/2,有的地区甚至减少80%,大量猪场永远离开了养猪业。从我国暴发非洲猪瘟到现在已经两年,养猪行业发生了翻天覆地的变化。     

Quantitative aspects of the transmission of African swine fever

The contagiousness of pigs during different stages of infection with African swine fever virus was assessed by measuring the amount of virus excreted and the amounts of virus in the blood and other tissues, as well as determining the infectious dose of the virus by various routes. The virus was present in substantial amounts in secretions and excretions of acutely infected pigs for only 7 to 10 days after the onset of fever and was present in the greatest amount in the feces. Virus persisted in the blood of some recovered and clinically normal pigs for 8 weeks and in the lymphoid tissues for at least 12 weeks. The intranasal/oral ID50, and the IV/IM ID50 of a moderately virulent isolate of African swine fever virus were determined to be 18,500 and 0.13, 50% headsorbing units, respectively. A highly virulent isolate required approximately 10-fold more virus to cause infection by the intranasal/oral route.     

Effect of husbandry methods on seropositivity to African swine fever virus in Sardinian swine herds

Multiple logistic regression was used on serological data collected in the context of the Sardinian African swine fever (ASF) eradication program from pig farms in the province of Nuoro, Sardinia. The monthly percentage of ASFV-positive herds decreased significantly from October 1994 through March 1996 (P < 0.001). The farm-level risk of seropositivity to African swine fever virus (ASFV) was higher in free-range farms than in partial-confinement farms (odds ratios (OR) varied between 4.9 in October 1994, and 5.7 in March 1996, P < 0.001). The risk of infection for total-confinement farms was one-fifth of the risk for partial-confinement farms in October 1994 (OR = 0.2, P < 0.001), whereas in March 1996, the estimated OR was 0.57 and not significant (upper confidence limit = 1.1). The maintenance of ASFV in Sardinia was primarily associated with free-range pig farms. The natural logarithm of the number of pigs tested per visit in a farm was positively associated with the risk of herd seropositivity (OR = 2.6, P < 0.001).     

非洲猪瘟的防控关键技术

非洲猪瘟传入我国以来,给我国养猪业造成了巨大的损失。非洲猪瘟可防可控,文章从消灭传染源、切断传播途径、保护易感猪群方面介绍了构建猪场生物安全体系的防控技术。     

Serum concentrations of C-reactive protein, serum amyloid A, and haptoglobin in pigs inoculated with African swine fever or classical swine fever viruses

OBJECTIVE: To determine serum concentrations of the selected acute-phase proteins (APPs) haptoglobin, serum amyloid A (SAA), and C-reactive protein (CRP) in pigs experimentally inoculated with classical swine fever (CSF) and African swine fever (ASF) viruses. ANIMALS: 8 crossbred (Large White x Landrace) 10-week-old pigs. PROCEDURES: Pigs were allocated to 2 groups (4 pigs/group). One group was inoculated with the CSF virus Alfort 187 strain, whereas the other groupwas inoculated with the ASF virus Spain 70 isolate. Blood samples were collected at various time points. At the end of the study, pigs were euthanized and a complete necropsy was performed, including histologic and immunohistochemical analyses. RESULTS: Serum concentrations of APPs increased in pigs inoculated with CSF and ASF viruses, which suggested an acute-phase response in the course of both diseases. The most noticeable increase in concentration was recorded for SAA in both groups (up to a 300-fold increase for CSF virus and an approx 40-fold increase for ASF virus), followed by CRP and then haptoglobin, which each had only 3- to 4-fold increases. CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL RELEVANCE: Serum concentrations of APPs increased significantly in pigs inoculated with CSF and ASF viruses. However, differences were evident in serum concentrations of the proteins evaluated in this study.     

Ultrastructural changes related to the lymph node haemorrhages in acute African swine fever

In order to determine the pathogenic mechanisms involved in lymph node haemorrhages in acute African swine fever ( ), eight pigs were inoculated with virus, strain Malawi'83. Lymph node haemorrhages were observed from three days post infection (dpi) onwards, coinciding with ASF virus replication in monocytes and macrophages adjacent to stimulated endothelial cells, phagocytic stimulation of capillary and small-vessel endothelial cells, increase in the number of fenestrations of endothelial cells, and endothelial cell loss, as well as clusters of blood cells and necrotic material beneath the endothelium. Vascular lumina were blocked by platelet plugs and fibrin microthrombi. These phenomena became more marked as the disease progressed. At five dpi, virus replication was also found in circulating neutrophils. At seven dpi, lesions were more intense and were accompanied by virus replication in sinus and capillary endothelial cells, and in other cell populations including pericytes, fibroblasts, smooth muscle fibres and reticular cells. The results obtained in this study suggest that lymph node haemorrhages are related to endothelial stimulation and the onset of disseminated intravascular coagulation. Virus replication in vessel wall cells occurs only in the final stages of the disease and plays a secondary role.     

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.