Improving African Swine Fever Surveillance Using Fluorescent Rapid Tests

Area of Science:

• Veterinary Virology
• Immunodiagnostics
• Disease Control

Background:

• African swine fever (ASF) is a highly fatal viral disease impacting swine populations globally.
• Current ASF control relies on strict biosecurity and early detection of infected animals.
• The re-emergence and spread of ASF necessitate improved diagnostic tools for point-of-care application.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop sensitive fluorescent rapid tests for improved point-of-care diagnosis of ASF.
• To create assays for detecting both viral antigen (Ag) and specific antibodies (Ab) in swine.
• To enhance the sensitivity and accuracy of ASF diagnosis compared to existing commercial tests.

Main Methods:

• Development of a fluorescent lateral flow assay (LFA) for detecting ASF virus VP72 antigen in blood.
• Development of a double-recognition fluorescent LFA for detecting ASF-specific antibodies (Ab) in serum or blood.
• Comparison of the developed fluorescent LFAs against commercial colorimetric assays (INgezim® ASFV CROM Ag and INgezim® PPA CROM Anticuerpo).

Main Results:

• Both developed fluorescent LFAs demonstrated statistically significant improvements in disease detection compared to commercial assays.
• Enhanced detection sensitivity was particularly noted between 11 and 39 days post-infection.
• The antigen (Ag)-LFA utilized a novel recombinant antibody targeting the VP72 protein.

Conclusions:

• The developed fluorescent rapid tests offer improved sensitivity for ASF diagnosis.
• Combining both antigen and antibody detection assays facilitates comprehensive identification of infected animals.
• These assays can aid in timely disease management and control, regardless of the post-infection stage.