Advancements Against African Swine Fever Virus
ARS scientists at the Plum Island Animal Disease Center in Orient Point, NY, have made two important advancements against African swine fever virus (ASFV), which causes a lethal disease in swine. Building on their previous success developing vaccine candidates by deleting genes to attenuate (weaken) the virus, the research team has licensed four different ASF vaccine candidates to commercial partners, with eight licenses awarded to date. African swine fever is currently present in parts of Europe, Asia, and Africa, but not the United States or the Americas.
In addition, after an intensive screening process, the ARS team identified a commercially available stable cell line that diagnostic laboratories can use specifically to detect infectious ASFV in samples submitted for testing. These cells, from an African green monkey, can be frozen in large quantities until needed. This is important because the current testing method requires the labs to culture fresh swine macrophages (large white blood cells), which cannot be frozen or prepared in advance of an outbreak. Using the commercially available cell line instead of fresh swine macrophages saves time, labor, equipment, and money.
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