Characterization of African swine fever virus in Angola, 2024

In February 2024, an outbreak of African Swine Fever (ASF) was reported in a commercial pig farm in southwestern Angola. Five clinical samples were collected and sent to the Central Veterinary Laboratory in Windhoek, Namibia and the presence of ASF virus (ASFV) was confirmed. Sequencing of the C-terminus of the B646L gene (p72 protein), the complete E183L gene (p54 protein), the central hypervariable region (CVR) of the B602L gene, and the partial CD2v gene (used for serotyping) was performed on DNA isolated from the samples. Phylogenetic analyses of the B646L (p72) and the E183L gene (p54) revealed that the samples were identical to each other and belonged to genotype I. The viruses belonged to serotype 2 and had CVR profiles similar to those commonly found in ASFVs of genotype I. This is the first detailed report of ASFV in Angola and will be of interest to regional veterinary authorities.