Vaccine potential of two previously uncharacterized African swine fever virus isolates from southern Africa and heterologous cross protection of an avirulent European isolate
Loading...
Date
Authors
Souto, Ricardo
Mutowembwa, Paidamwoyo
Van Heerden, J.
Fosgate, Geoffrey Theodore
Heath, Livio Edward
Vosloo, Wilna
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Wiley
Abstract
African swine fever (ASF) is a mostly fatal viral infection of domestic pigs for
which there is no vaccine available. The disease is endemic to most of sub-Saharan
Africa, causes severe losses and threatens food security in large parts of the continent.
Naturally occurring attenuated ASF viruses have been tested as vaccine candidates,
but protection was variable depending on the challenge virus. In this
study, the virulence of two African isolates, one from a tick vector and the other
from an indigenous pig, was determined in domestic pigs to identify a potential
vaccine strain for southern Africa. Neither isolate was suitable as the tick isolate
was moderately virulent and the indigenous pig virus was highly virulent. The latter
was subsequently used as heterologous challenge in pigs first vaccinated with a
naturally attenuated isolate previously isolated in Portugal. Although a statistically
significant reduction in death rate and virus load was observed compared with
unvaccinated pigs post-challenge, all pigs succumbed to infection and died.
Description
Keywords
Virulence, African isolates, Pathology, Vaccination, African swine fever, ASF, ASFV, African swine fever virus
Sustainable Development Goals
Citation
Souto, R, Mutowembwa, P, Van Heerden, J, Fosgate, GT, Heath, L & Vosloo, W 2016, 'Vaccine potential of two previously uncharacterized African swine fever virus isolates from southern Africa and heterologous cross protection of an avirulent European isolate', Transboundary and Emerging Diseases, vol. 63, no. 2, pp. 224-231.