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- African swine fever virus : cellular and molecular aspectsPublication . Urbano, A.; Forth, J.H.; Olesen, A.S.; Zakaryan, H.; Ferreira, Fernando; Dixon, L.; Rasmussen, T.B.; Cackett, G.; Werner, F.; Karger, A.ABSTRACT - Over the last years, African swine fever virus (ASFV) has spread to several European and Asian countries, presently showing an unprecedented geographic distribution. The present chapter focuses on current knowledge and advances in the cellular/molecular features of ASFV, highlighting the gaps and future perspectives. The first half of the chapter addresses the general features of ASFV, its phylogeny and evolution, together with an overview of the viral transcription mechanisms and transcriptomics and the proteomics of ASFV-infected cells. The second half of the chapter summarises the structure and composition of the infectious ASFV particle, the mechanisms that lead to the infection and replication of the virus at the cellular level, and the viral-pig interactions. The last part of the chapter presents an overview of the currently described antiviral agents against ASFV.
- African swine fever epidemiology, surveillance and controlPublication . Viltrop, A.; Boinas, F.; Depner, K.; Jori, F.; Kolbasov, D.Abstract - The introduction of genotype II African swine fever (ASF) virus (ASFV) into the Caucasus in 2007 resulted in unprecedented disease propagation via slow geographical expansion through wild boar populations, short- and long-distance human-mediated translocations, and incursions into naïve wild boar and domestic pig populations. The disease is now widespread in eastern and central Europe as well as in Asia, including China. The global dimension of the current epidemic shows that all countries need to be prepared for an introduction. In its natural habitat in Africa, ASFV is maintained within an ancient cycle between soft argasid ticks and the common warthog. Once introduced to the domestic pig population, direct and indirect virus transmission occurs with or without involvement of the tick vector in the pig-tick and domestic pig epidemiological cycles respectively. In the domestic pig cycle, human activities involving pigs or pig derived products are the dominating driver of virus transmission. ASF epidemiology in the presence of wild boar and northern European climates has proved to have specific characteristics, described in the wild boar-habitat epidemiological cycle. In this cycle wild boar carcasses and the resulting contamination of the environment play key roles in virus persistence. In both the wild boarhabitat and the domestic pig epidemiological cycle, fully implemented biosecurity is the key for stopping virus transmission and controlling the disease. Positive examples from the Czech Republic and Belgium show that control and eradication of ASF from the wild boar-habitat cycle can be achieved. Both these cases, as well as the example of Sardinia, where ASFV genotype I now seem very close to eradication after more than 40 years presence, further underline the importance of involving, engaging and understanding all stakeholders in the value chains from farm and forest to fork in order to accomplish ASF control and eradication.
- African swine fever (ASF), the pig health challenge of the centuryPublication . Martins, C.; Boinas, F.S.; Iacolina, L.; Ruiz-Fons, F.; Gavier-Widén, D.More than one hundred years ago African swine fever (ASF) was rst diagnosed in Kenya. Since then, diverse approaches have been applied to the study of the causative virus, the sole member of the family Asfarviridae, aimed at characterising its properties, genome organisation and replication, its antigenic and biological properties as well as to develop treatment and a vaccine. e disease evolved and has persisted in Africa in a sylvatic cycle involving wild suids and so ticks for a long time, but was introduced, usually through contaminated waste food, into other regions on multiple occasions since 1957. e most recent introduction, into Georgia in 2007, resulted in the spread of the disease to the European Union in 2014 and to the establishment of an international and multidisciplinary network of scientists funded by the European Cooperation in Science and Technology (COST) two years later. e network included a broad variety of scientic elds, animal health and food safety authorities, hunting associations, wildlife managers and food and livestock industries with the goal of increasing preparedness and attempting to stop ASF spread. is book represents the summary of the collective and integrated work of almost 300 dedicated participants in tackling the complex challenge posed by ASF. Here we summarise the state-of-the-art knowledge on this lethal disease, with a focus on the European situation, and identify areas that still need to be explored.