A rosin-functionalized plastic surface inactivates African swine fever virus

Area of Science:

• Veterinary Virology
• Materials Science
• Infectious Disease Control

Background:

• African swine fever virus (ASFV) causes a highly fatal disease in pigs.
• ASFV can persist on fomites, facilitating indirect transmission in swine farming.
• Controlling fomite-mediated virus spread is crucial for disease management.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the antiviral efficacy of a rosin-functionalized plastic surface against ASFV.
• To compare the ASFV inactivation capacity of functionalized plastic with standard low-density polyethylene (LDPE).
• To investigate the impact of the functionalized surface on ASFV morphology.

Main Methods:

• ASFV infectious titers were quantified after contact with rosin-functionalized plastic and LDPE.
• Virus inactivation was assessed over time (60 and 120 minutes).
• Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) was used to examine virus morphology.

Main Results:

• Rosin-functionalized plastic reduced ASFV titers by 1.3 log10 within 60 minutes.
• Complete ASFV inactivation (>6 log10 reduction) was achieved after 120 minutes on functionalized plastic.
• LDPE showed minimal ASFV inactivation (<1 log10 reduction) after 120 minutes.
• TEM revealed significant ASFV morphological damage on the functionalized surface, unlike LDPE.

Conclusions:

• Rosin-functionalized plastic demonstrates potent antiviral activity against ASFV.
• This material offers a potential strategy to mitigate ASFV spread through contaminated fomites.
• Antiviral plastics could be integrated into biosecurity measures for swine farming to control ASFV.