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African Swine Fever roadmap:
Diagnostic Tests

Roadmap for the development of diagnostic tests for ASF

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Diagnostics

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Dependencies

State-of-the-art ASF diagnostics

Research Question

  • Fit for purpose tests should be available or developed for the different purposes (surveillance, response, and recovery). The test systems should be reliable, easy to use, cost effective and should provide sufficient diagnostic sensitivity and specificity. Pen side tests would be helpful to enhance detection and improve response under circumstances which do not allow rapid laboratory testing. The test systems should cover both domestic and wild pigs. ASFV detection should also take tick testing into consideration.
  • Whole genome sequencing pipelines using NGS technology

Research Gaps and Challenges

  • Tests needed for different purposes (both direct and indirect)
  • Sufficient diagnostic specificity and sensitivity
  • Reliable internal controls for qPCR testing in suboptimal materials (e.g. from wild boar carcasses)
  • Further optimisation and development of pen-side tests and other field-deployable diagnostic tests (virus and antibody detection, sequencing)
  • Alternative sample types: e.g. easy sampling for wild boar
  • Detection of the same/different ASFV isolate in a single reaction
  • Diagnostics in ticks
  • Reduce costs
  • Reference materials and gold standard assays.

Solution Routes

  • Develop new technologies (e.g. not requiring permission to work with ASFV) which can bring more producers to the market

Dependencies

  • Definition how to use the available diagnostics
  • Further field validation under different outbreak conditions
  • Infrastructure and/or expertise for reliable diagnostic services in regional labs in endemic countries; trained personnel
  • Intensify training and follow-up activities for international harmonisation of diagnostic tests

State Of the Art

  • A wide variety of reliable laboratory techniques fit-for-purpose are available either for ASF virus and antibody detection, and a strategic use
    of both is the recommended approach for detecting ASFV
  • The most commonly used techniques for virus detection and identification are qPCR. Haemadsorption (HA), and direct immunofluorescence (DIF) are further techniques. Sequencing (including whole-genome sequencing with NGS) is used for genotyping
  • The most common, practical and inexpensive techniques for ASF antibody detection is the ELISA and, as confirmatory tests, the immunoblotting
    assay (IB), Indirect immunofluorescence antibody test (IFA), and the Immunoperoxidase Test (IPT

Projects

What activities are planned or underway?

Africa's Long Depression: The Growth and Debt Crises of 1975-2000

Planned Completion date 01/03/2027

Participating Country(s):

United KingdomIconUnited Kingdom

Unlocking potential: developing innovative adolescent screening visits for health promotion, prevention and treatment in low-resource settings

Planned Completion date 01/01/2028

Participating Country(s):

United KingdomIconUnited Kingdom