Publications

new insights into the role of ticks in african swine fever epidemiology.	african swine fever (asf), one of the most important diseases of swine, is present in many african countries, as well as in eastern europe, russia and sardinia. it is caused by a complex virus, asf virus (asfv), for which neither vaccine nor treatment is available. asfv affects swine of all breeds and ages, and also replicates in soft ticks of the genus ornithodoros, facilitating asfv persistence and reocurrence of disease. depending on the involvement of these ticks, and the presence or not of ...	2015	26601452
live attenuated african swine fever viruses as ideal tools to dissect the mechanisms involved in viral pathogenesis and immune protection.	african swine fever virus (asfv) is the causal agent of african swine fever, a hemorrhagic and often lethal porcine disease causing enormous economical losses in affected countries. endemic for decades in most of the sub-saharan countries and sardinia, the risk of asfv-endemicity in europe has increased since its last introduction into europe in 2007. live attenuated viruses have been demonstrated to induce very efficient protective immune responses, albeit most of the time protection was circum ...	2015	26589145
first detection of antibodies against african swine fever virus in faeces samples.	african swine fever (asf) is a viral, highly lethal haemorrhagic disease of swine with no available vaccine or effective treatment. introduction of asf into a country triggers immediate restriction measures that cause significant economic losses and threatens spread to neighbouring countries. wild boar populations have been recently assigned an essential role in the spread of african swine fever virus (asfv) to european countries. therefore, effective surveillance and monitoring of wild boar pop ...	2015	26431943
alterations of nuclear architecture and epigenetic signatures during african swine fever virus infection.	viral interactions with host nucleus have been thoroughly studied, clarifying molecular mechanisms and providing new antiviral targets. considering that african swine fever virus (asfv) intranuclear phase of infection is poorly understood, viral interplay with subnuclear domains and chromatin architecture were addressed. nuclear speckles, cajal bodies, and promyelocytic leukaemia nuclear bodies (pml-nbs) were evaluated by immunofluorescence microscopy and western blot. further, efficient pml pro ...	2015	26389938
african swine fever virus infects macrophages, the natural host cells, via clathrin- and cholesterol-dependent endocytosis.	the main cellular target for african swine fever virus (asfv) is the porcine macrophage. however, existing data about the early phases of infection were previously characterized in non-leukocyte cells such as vero cells. here, we report that asfv enters the natural host cell using dynamin-dependent and clathrin-mediated endocytosis. this pathway is strongly ph-dependent during the first steps of infection in porcine macrophages. we investigated the effect of drugs inhibiting several endocytic pa ...	2015	25662020
a longitudinal survey of african swine fever in uganda reveals high apparent disease incidence rates in domestic pigs, but absence of detectable persistent virus infections in blood and serum.	african swine fever (asf) is a fatal, haemorrhagic disease of domestic pigs, that poses a serious threat to pig farmers and is currently endemic in domestic pigs in most of sub-saharan africa. to obtain insight into the factors related to asf outbreaks at the farm-level, a longitudinal study was performed in one of the major pig producing areas in central uganda. potential risk factors associated with outbreaks of asf were investigated including the possible presence of apparently healthy asf-vi ...	2015	25967670
a multiplex pcr for simultaneous detection of classical swine fever virus, african swine fever virus, highly pathogenic porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome virus, porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome virus and pseudorabies in swines.	in this assay, we developed and evaluated a multiplex pcr (mpcr) for its ability in detecting multiple infections of swine simultaneously. four pairs of primers were used to detect five viruses. specific primers were designed for classical swine fever virus (csfv), african swine fever virus (asfv) and pseudorabies (prv). a pair of primers was designed prudently for two different types of porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome virus that respectively were porcine reproductive and respirato ...	2015	26812812
evaluation of the risk factors contributing to the african swine fever occurrence in sardinia, italy.	this study assesses the relation between hypothesized risk factors and african swine fever virus (asfv) distribution in sardinia (italy) after the beginning of the eradication program in 1993, using a bayesian multivariable logistic regression mixed model. results indicate that the probability of asfv occurrence in sardinia was associated to particular socio-cultural, productive and economical factors found in the region, particularly to large number of confined (i.e., closed) farms (most of the ...	2015	25926829
a study of lymphoid organs and serum proinflammatory cytokines in pigs infected with african swine fever virus genotype ii.	african swine fever virus (asfv), the causative agent of one of the most important viral diseases of domestic pigs for which no vaccine is available, causes immune system disorders in infected animals. in this study, the serum levels of proinflammatory cytokines, as well as the histological and cellular constitution of lymphoid organs of pigs infected with asfv genotype ii were investigated. the results showed a high degree of lymphocyte depletion in the lymphoid organs, particularly in the sple ...	2015	25797197
detection of african swine fever, classical swine fever, and foot-and-mouth disease viruses in swine oral fluids by multiplex reverse transcription real-time polymerase chain reaction.	african swine fever (asf), classical swine fever (csf), and foot-and-mouth disease (fmd) are highly contagious animal diseases of significant economic importance. pigs infected with asf and csf viruses (asfv and csfv) develop clinical signs that may be indistinguishable from other diseases. likewise, various causes of vesicular disease can mimic clinical signs caused by the fmd virus (fmdv). early detection is critical to limiting the impact and spread of these disease outbreaks, and the ability ...	2015	25776540
the progressive adaptation of a georgian isolate of african swine fever virus to vero cells leads to a gradual attenuation of virulence in swine corresponding to major modifications of the viral genome.	african swine fever virus (asfv) causes a contagious and often lethal disease of feral and domestic swine. experimental vaccines derived from naturally occurring, genetically modified, or cell culture-adapted asfv have been evaluated, but no commercial vaccine is available to control african swine fever (asf). we report here the genotypic and phenotypic analysis of viruses obtained at different passages during the process of adaptation of a virulent asfv field isolate from the republic of georgi ...	2015	25505073
african swine fever virus orf p1192r codes for a functional type ii dna topoisomerase.	topoisomerases modulate the topological state of dna during processes, such as replication and transcription, that cause overwinding and/or underwinding of the dna. african swine fever virus (asfv) is a nucleo-cytoplasmic double-stranded dna virus shown to contain an ofr (p1192r) with homology to type ii topoisomerases. here we observed that pp1192r is highly conserved among asfv isolates but dissimilar from other viral, prokaryotic or eukaryotic type ii topoisomerases. in both asfv/ba71v-infect ...	2015	25463606
comparative analysis of african swine fever virus genotypes and serogroups.	african swine fever virus (asfv) causes highly lethal hemorrhagic disease among pigs, and asfv's extreme antigenic diversity hinders vaccine development. we show that p72 asfv phylogenetic analysis does not accurately define asfv hemadsorption inhibition assay serogroups. thus, conventional asfv genotyping cannot discriminate between viruses of different virulence or predict efficacy of a specific asfv vaccine.	2015	25625574
african swine fever virus cd2v and c-type lectin gene loci mediate serological specificity.	african swine fever (asf) is an emerging disease threat for the swine industry worldwide. no asf vaccine is available and progress is hindered by lack of knowledge concerning the extent of asf virus (asfv) strain diversity and the viral antigens responsible for protection in the pig. available data from vaccination/challenge experiments in pigs indicate asf protective immunity is haemadsorption inhibition (hai) serotype-specific. a better understanding of asfv hai serological groups and their di ...	2015	25524164
comparative analysis of the complete genome sequences of kenyan african swine fever virus isolates within p72 genotypes ix and x.	twelve complete african swine fever virus (asfv) genome sequences are currently publicly available and these include only one sequence from east africa. we describe genome sequencing and annotation of a recent pig-derived p72 genotype ix, and a tick-derived genotype x isolate from kenya using the illumina platform and comparison with the kenya 1950 isolate. the three genomes constitute a cluster that was phylogenetically distinct from other asfv genomes, but 98-99 % conserved within the group. v ...	2015	25645905
related strains of african swine fever virus with different virulence: genome comparison and analysis.	two strains of african swine fever virus (asfv), the high-virulence lisboa60 (l60) and the low-virulence nh/p68 (nhv), which have previously been used in effective immunization/protection studies, were sequenced. both were isolated in portugal during the 11-year period after the introduction of asfv to the european continent in 1957. the predicted proteins coded by both strains were compared, and where differences were found these were also compared to other strains of known virulence. this high ...	2015	25406173
in situ hybridization with labeled probes: assessment of african swine fever virus in formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded tissues.	in situ hybridization (ish) has become a very valuable molecular diagnostic tool to detect specific dna or rna sequences in biological samples through the use of complementary dna- or rna-labeled probes. here, we describe an optimized in situ hybridization protocol to detect african swine fever virus (asfv) dna in formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded tissues using digoxigenin-labeled probes.	2015	25399099
tree imbalance causes a bias in phylogenetic estimation of evolutionary timescales using heterochronous sequences.	phylogenetic estimation of evolutionary timescales has become routine in biology, forming the basis of a wide range of evolutionary and ecological studies. however, there are various sources of bias that can affect these estimates. we investigated whether tree imbalance, a property that is commonly observed in phylogenetic trees, can lead to reduced accuracy or precision of phylogenetic timescale estimates. we analysed simulated data sets with calibrations at internal nodes and at the tips, taki ...	2015	25431227
small-scale pig farmers' behavior, silent release of african swine fever virus and consequences for disease spread.	the expanding distribution of african swine fever (asf) is threatening the pig industry worldwide. most outbreaks occur in backyard and small-scale herds, where poor farmers often attempt to limit the disease's economic consequences by the emergency sale of their pigs. the risk of african swine fever virus (asfv) release via this emergency sale was investigated. simulation modeling was used to study asfv transmission in backyard and small-scale farms as well as the emergency sale of pigs, and th ...	2015	26610850
genome sequence of african swine fever virus ba71, the virulent parental strain of the nonpathogenic and tissue-culture adapted ba71v.	the strain ba71v has played a key role in african swine fever virus (asfv) research. it was the first genome sequenced, and remains the only genome completely determined. a large part of the studies on the function of asfv genes, viral transcription, replication, dna repair and morphogenesis, has been performed using this model. this avirulent strain was obtained by adaptation to grow in vero cells of the highly virulent ba71 strain. we report here the analysis of the genome sequence of ba71 in ...	2015	26618713
cholesterol flux is required for endosomal progression of african swine fever virions during the initial establishment of infection.	african swine fever virus (asfv) is a major threat for porcine production that has been slowly spreading in eastern europe since its first appearance in the caucasus in 2007. asfv enters the cell by endocytosis and gains access to the cytosol to start replication from late endosomes and multivesicular bodies. cholesterol associated with low-density lipoproteins entering the cell by endocytosis also follows a trafficking pathway similar to that of asfv. here we show that cholesterol plays an esse ...	2015	26608317
early intranuclear replication of african swine fever virus genome modifies the landscape of the host cell nucleus.	although african swine fever virus (asfv) replicates in viral cytoplasmic factories, the presence of viral dna within the host cell nucleus has been previously reported to be essential for productive infection. herein, we described, for the first time, the intranuclear distribution patterns of viral dna replication events, preceding those that occur in the cytoplasmic compartment. using brdu pulse-labelling experiments, newly synthesized asfv genomes were exclusively detected inside the host cel ...	2015	26183880
[continuous cell subline a4c2/9k and its application to the african swine fever virus study].	a new continuous cell subline a4c2/9k highly sensitive to the african swine fever virus (asfv) was prepared. all the tested asfv strains isolated in the russian federation in 2008-2013 proliferated in this cell culture exhibiting hemadsorption and accumulated at a titer of up to 6.5 ig hau50/cm3. the cell culture a4c2/9k can be used for asfv isolation or determination of its infectious activity and serotype identity. the culture versions of the asfv strain stavropol 01/08 at passages 24 and 33 i ...	2015	26182658
course and transmission characteristics of oral low-dose infection of domestic pigs and european wild boar with a caucasian african swine fever virus isolate.	in 2007, african swine fever virus (asfv) was introduced into the transcaucasian countries and russia. since then, it has spread alarmingly and reached the european union. asfv strains are highly virulent and lead to almost 100% mortality under experimental conditions. however, the possibility of dose-dependent disease courses has been discussed. for this reason, a study was undertaken to assess the risk of chronic disease and the establishment of carriers upon low-dose oronasal infection of dom ...	2015	25916610
faustovirus, an asfarvirus-related new lineage of giant viruses infecting amoebae.	giant viruses are protist-associated viruses belonging to the proposed order megavirales; almost all have been isolated from acanthamoeba spp. their isolation in humans suggests that they are part of the human virome. using a high-throughput strategy to isolate new giant viruses from their original protozoan hosts, we obtained eight isolates of a new giant viral lineage from vermamoeba vermiformis, the most common free-living protist found in human environments. this new lineage was proposed to ...	2015	25878099
african swine fever virus assembles a single membrane derived from rupture of the endoplasmic reticulum.	collective evidence argues that two members of the nucleocytoplasmic large dna viruses (ncldvs) acquire their membrane from open membrane intermediates, postulated to be derived from membrane rupture. we now study membrane acquisition of the ncldv african swine fever virus. by electron tomography (et), the virion assembles a single bilayer, derived from open membrane precursors that collect as ribbons in the cytoplasm. biochemically, lumenal endoplasmic reticulum (er) proteins are released into ...	2015	26096327
impact on antibody responses of b-cell-restricted transgenic expression of a viral gene inhibiting activation of nf-κb and nfat.	in this work, we have assessed the impact in vivo of the evasion gene a238l of african swine fever virus, an inhibitor of both nf-κb- and nfat-mediated transcription. the a238l gene was selectively expressed in mouse b lymphocytes using the promoter and enhancer sequences of the mouse ig μ heavy chain. the igm primary and igg2b secondary serological responses and the number of splenic germinal centres in response to the td antigens dnp-keyhole limpet hemocyanin and sheep red blood cells, respect ...	2015	25864175
analysis of hdac6 and bag3-aggresome pathways in african swine fever viral factory formation.	african swine fever virus (asfv) is a double-stranded dna virus causing a hemorrhagic fever disease with high mortality rates and severe economic losses in pigs worldwide. asfv replicates in perinuclear sites called viral factories (vfs) that are morphologically similar to cellular aggresomes. this fact raises the possibility that both vfs and aggresomes may be the same structure. however, little is known about the process involved in the formation of these viral replication platforms. in order ...	2015	25856634
african swine fever virus georgia 2007 with a deletion of virulence-associated gene 9gl (b119l), when administered at low doses, leads to virus attenuation in swine and induces an effective protection against homologous challenge.	african swine fever virus (asfv) is the etiological agent of an often lethal disease of domestic pigs. disease control strategies have been hampered by the unavailability of vaccines against asfv. since its introduction in the republic of georgia, a highly virulent virus, asfv georgia 2007 (asfv-g), has caused an epizootic that spread rapidly into eastern european countries. currently no vaccines are available or under development to control asfv-g. in the past, genetically modified asfvs harbor ...	2015	26063424
host cell targets for african swine fever virus.	viruses are strict intracellular pathogens that require the cellular environment to complete a successful infection. among them, african swine fever virus (asfv) is an evolutionary ancient dna virus, endemic in africa, which is nowadays causing an emergent disease in europe with a potential high economic impact in the pig industry. it is well known that host-cell components are critical crossroads mapping the virus path for a productive infection, some of them at the endocytic pathway. consideri ...	2015	26057710
tandem repeat insertion in african swine fever virus, russia, 2012.		2015	25812015
african swine fever virus georgia isolate harboring deletions of mgf360 and mgf505 genes is attenuated in swine and confers protection against challenge with virulent parental virus.	african swine fever virus (asfv) is the etiological agent of a contagious and often lethal disease of domestic pigs that has significant economic consequences for the swine industry. the control of african swine fever (asf) has been hampered by the unavailability of vaccines. experimental vaccines have been developed using genetically modified live attenuated asfvs where viral genes involved in virus virulence were removed from the genome. multigene family 360 (mgf360) and mgf505 represent a gro ...	2015	25810553
[on the situation of african swine fever and the biological characterization of recent virus isolates].	african swine fever (asf), a disease notifiable to the world organization of animal health (oie), is characterized by severe, unspecific clinical signs and high mortality rates. hosts for asf virus (asfv) are only members of the family suidae and soft ticks of the genus ornithodoros. currently, no vaccine is available and therefore, the control is primarily based on strict sanitary measures. the most important part is the early detection of the disease within affected animal holdings and the fas ...	2015	26054220
cd2v interacts with adaptor protein ap-1 during african swine fever infection.	african swine fever virus (asfv) cd2v protein is believed to be involved in virulence enhancement, viral hemadsorption, and pathogenesis, although the molecular mechanisms of the function of this viral protein are still not fully understood. here we describe that cd2v localized around viral factories during asfv infection, suggesting a role in the generation and/or dynamics of these viral structures and hence in disturbing cellular traffic. we show that cd2v targeted the regulatory trans-golgi n ...	2015	25915900
phylogeographic analysis of african swine fever virus based on the p72 gene sequence.	african swine fever virus (asfv) outbreak has been considered as an emerging and re-emerging disease for almost a century. diagnostically, simple polymerase chain reaction and sequencing-based molecular detection could be employed for both viral identification and genotyping. this study established a novel phylogenetic analysis and epidemiology comparison based on 205 bp of p72 gene sequences. based on this partial p72 fragment, an updated list of 44 different genotypes from a total of 516 asfv ...	2015	25966230
african swine fever virus: current state and future perspectives in vaccine and antiviral research.	african swine fever (asf) is among the most significant of swine diseases for which no effective vaccines and antivirals are available. the disease, which is endemic in africa, was introduced to trans-caucasian countries and the russian federation in 2007, where it remains prevalent today among domestic pigs and wild boars. although some measures were implemented, asf continues to pose a global risk for all countries, and thereby highlighting the importance of vaccine and antiviral research. in ...	2016	26931386
domain organization of vaccinia virus helicase-primase d5.	poxviridae are viruses with a large linear double-stranded dna genome coding for up to 250 open reading frames and a fully cytoplasmic replication. the double-stranded dna genome is covalently circularized at both ends. similar structures of covalently linked extremities of the linear dna genome are found in the african swine fever virus (asfarvirus) and in the phycodnaviridae we are studying the machinery which replicates this peculiar genome structure. from our work with vaccinia virus, we giv ...	2016	26912611
simulation of spread of african swine fever, including the effects of residues from dead animals.	to study the spread of african swine fever (asf) within a pig unit and the impact of unit size on asf spread, a simulation model was created. in the model, an animal can be in one of the following stages: susceptible, latent, subclinical, clinical, or recovered. animals can be infectious during the subclinical stage and are fully infectious during the clinical stage. asf virus (asfv) infection through residues of dead animals in the slurries was also modeled in an exponentially fading-out patter ...	2016	26870740
a mathematical model that simulates control options for african swine fever virus (asfv).	a stochastic model designed to simulate transmission dynamics of african swine fever virus (asfv) in a free-ranging pig population under various intervention scenarios is presented. the model was used to assess the relative impact of the timing of the implementation of different control strategies on disease-related mortality. the implementation of biosecurity measures was simulated through incorporation of a decay function on the transmission rate. the model predicts that biosecurity measures i ...	2016	27391689
recombinant protein p30 for serological diagnosis of african swine fever by immunoblotting assay.	this article is devoted to the development and evaluation of the immunoblotting test system for serological diagnosis of african swine fever (asf), based on the highly purified recombinant p30 of asf virus (asfv) strain stavropol 01/08 (stavropol 2008), representative of the asfv currently circulating in the russian federation. the main project stages are as follows: (i) cloning of the central hydrophilic region of the asfv gene cp204l (p30) into a prokaryotic vector; (ii) expression and chromat ...	2016	27390151
a rapid strategy for the isolation of new faustoviruses from environmental samples using vermamoeba vermiformis.	the isolation of giant viruses is of great interest in this new era of virology, especially since these giant viruses are related to protists. giant viruses may be potentially pathogenic for many species of protists. they belong to the recently described order of megavirales. the new lineage faustovirus that has been isolated from sewage samples is distantly related to the mammalian pathogen african swine fever virus. this virus is also specific to its amoebal host, vermamoeba vermiformis, a pro ...	2016	27341059
a synthetic molecular system capable of mirror-image genetic replication and transcription.	the overwhelmingly homochiral nature of life has left a puzzle as to whether mirror-image biological systems based on a chirally inverted version of molecular machinery could also have existed. here we report that two key steps in the central dogma of molecular biology, the template-directed polymerization of dna and transcription into rna, can be catalysed by a chemically synthesized d-amino acid polymerase on an l-dna template. we also show that two chirally mirrored versions of the 174-residu ...	2016	27325097
experimental pig-to-pig transmission dynamics for african swine fever virus, georgia 2007/1 strain.	african swine fever virus (asfv) continues to cause outbreaks in domestic pigs and wild boar in eastern european countries. to gain insights into its transmission dynamics, we estimated the pig-to-pig basic reproduction number (r 0) for the georgia 2007/1 asfv strain using a stochastic susceptible-exposed-infectious-recovered (seir) model with parameters estimated from transmission experiments. models showed that r 0 is 2·8 [95% confidence interval (ci) 1·3-4·8] within a pen and 1·4 (95% ci 0·6- ...	2016	25989921
complete genome sequence of an african swine fever virus isolate from sardinia, italy.	previous genetic characterization of african swine fever virus isolates from the italian island of sardinia, where the virus has been present since 1978, has largely been limited to a few selected genomic regions. here, we report the complete genome sequence of the isolate 47/ss/08 collected during an outbreak in 2008.	2016	27856577
sensitivity of african swine fever virus to type i interferon is linked to genes within multigene families 360 and 505.	african swine fever virus (asfv) causes a lethal haemorrhagic disease of pigs. there are conflicting reports on the role of interferon in asfv infection. we therefore analysed the interaction of asfv with porcine interferon, in vivo and in vitro. virulent asfv induced biologically active ifn in the circulation of pigs from day 3-post infection, whereas low virulent our t88/3, which lacks genes from multigene family (mgf) 360 and mgf505, did not. infection of porcine leucocytes enriched for dendr ...	2016	27043071
identification of a new genotype of african swine fever virus in domestic pigs from ethiopia.	african swine fever (asf) is an important emerging transboundary animal disease (tad), which currently has an impact on many countries in africa, eastern europe, the caucasus and the russian federation. the current situation in europe shows the ability of the virus to rapidly spread, which stands to threaten the global swine industry. at present, there is no viable vaccine to minimize spread of the disease and stamping out is the main source of control. in february 2011, ethiopia had reported it ...	2016	27211823
african swine fever virus georgia isolate harboring deletions of 9gl and mgf360/505 genes is highly attenuated in swine but does not confer protection against parental virus challenge.	african swine fever virus (asfv) produces a contagious disease of domestic pigs that results in severe economic consequences to the swine industry. control of the disease has been hampered by the unavailability of vaccines. we recently reported the development of two experimental vaccine strains (asfv-g-δ9gl and asfv-g-δmgf) based on the attenuation of the highly virulent and epidemiologically relevant georgia2007 isolate. deletion of the 9gl gene or six genes of the mgf360/505 group produced tw ...	2016	27182007
african swine fever virus undergoes outer envelope disruption, capsid disassembly and inner envelope fusion before core release from multivesicular endosomes.	african swine fever virus (asfv) is a nucleocytoplasmic large dna virus (ncldv) that causes a highly lethal disease in domestic pigs. as other ncldvs, the extracellular form of asfv possesses a multilayered structure consisting of a genome-containing nucleoid successively wrapped by a thick protein core shell, an inner lipid membrane, an icosahedral protein capsid and an outer lipid envelope. this structural complexity suggests an intricate mechanism of internalization in order to deliver the vi ...	2016	27110717
prokaryotic expression, purification and antigenicity analysis of african swine fever virus pk205r protein.	african swine fever is an acute, febrile and highly virulent porcine disease causing serious economic losses worldwide. the pk205r protein of the african swine fever virus (asfv) is largely expressed in the early stages of infection, which has given the k205r gene extensive attention. in this study, the asfv k205r was cloned and expressed in escherichia coli bl21 (de3). expression of histidine-tagged pk205r with a molecular mass of 44 kda was determined by 12% sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylami ...	2016	27096786
companion animals as a source of viruses for human beings and food production animals.	companion animals comprise a wide variety of species, including dogs, cats, horses, ferrets, guinea pigs, reptiles, birds and ornamental fish, as well as food production animal species, such as domestic pigs, kept as companion animals. despite their prominent place in human society, little is known about the role of companion animals as sources of viruses for people and food production animals. therefore, we reviewed the literature for accounts of infections of companion animals by zoonotic viru ...	2016	27522300
african swine fever diagnosis adapted to tropical conditions by the use of dried-blood filter papers.	the performance of whatman 3-mm filter papers for the collection, drying, shipment and long-term storage of blood at ambient temperature, and for the detection of african swine fever virus and antibodies was assessed. conventional and real-time pcr, viral isolation and antibody detection by elisa were performed on paired samples (blood/tissue versus dried-blood 3-mm filter papers) collected from experimentally infected pigs and from farm pigs in madagascar and côte d'ivoire. 3-mm filter papers w ...	2016	25430732
insulated isothermal reverse transcriptase pcr (iirt-pcr) for rapid and sensitive detection of classical swine fever virus.	classical swine fever (csf) is an oie-listed disease that can have a severe impact on the swine industry. user-friendly, sensitive, rapid diagnostic tests that utilize low-cost field-deployable instruments for csf diagnosis can be useful for disease surveillance and outbreak monitoring. in this study, we describe validation of a new probe-based insulated isothermal reverse transcriptase pcr (iirt-pcr) assay for rapid detection of classical swine fever virus (csfv) on a compact, user-friendly dev ...	2016	25644051
recombinant newcastle disease virus expressing african swine fever virus protein 72 is safe and immunogenic in mice.	african swine fever (asf) is a lethal hemorrhagic disease that affects wild and domestic swine. the etiological agent of asf is african swine fever virus (asfv). since the first case was described in kenya in 1921, the disease has spread to many other countries. no commercial vaccines are available to prevent asf. in this study, we generated a recombinant newcastle disease virus (rndv) expressing asfv protein 72 (p72) by reverse genetics and evaluated its humoral and cellular immunogenicity in a ...	2016	26980334
immunization of african indigenous pigs with attenuated genotype i african swine fever virus ourt88/3 induces protection against challenge with virulent strains of genotype i.	the attenuated african swine fever virus genotype i strain ourt88/3 has previously been shown to induce protection of european breeds of domestic pigs against challenge with virulent isolates. to determine whether protective immune responses could also be induced in indigenous breeds of pigs from the kinshassa region in democratic republic of congo, we immunized a group of eight pigs with ourt88/3 strain and challenged the pigs 3 weeks later with virulent genotype i strain ourt88/1. four of the ...	2016	25691347
vaccine potential of two previously uncharacterized african swine fever virus isolates from southern africa and heterologous cross protection of an avirulent european isolate.	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 in ...	2016	25073549
investigation into the epidemiology of african swine fever virus at the wildlife - domestic interface of the gorongosa national park, central mozambique.	an epidemiological study of african swine fever (asf) was conducted between march 2006 and september 2007 in a rural area adjacent to the gorongosa national park (gnp) located in the central mozambique. domestic pigs and warthogs were sampled to determine the prevalence of antibodies against asf virus and the salivary antigens of ornithodoros spp. ticks, while ticks collected from pig pens were tested for the presence of asfv. in addition, 310 framers were interviewed to gain a better understand ...	2016	25483914
improved strategy for molecular characterization of african swine fever viruses from sardinia, based on analysis of p30, cd2v and i73r/i329l variable regions.	african swine fever virus (asfv) is the aetiological agent of a highly lethal haemorrhagic disease affecting pigs that inflicts significant economic damage on the swine industry. asf is present in many african countries, in several eastern and central european countries and in sardinia (italy). sequence analyses of variable genomic regions have been extensively used for molecular epidemiological studies of asfv isolates. previous sequencing data of genes that codify for viral protein p54, p72 an ...	2016	27174805
african swine fever virus serotype-specific proteins are significant protective antigens for african swine fever.	african swine fever (asf) is an emerging disease threat for the swine industry worldwide. no asf vaccine is available and progress is hindered by lack of knowledge concerning the extent of asfv strain diversity and the viral antigens conferring type-specific protective immunity in pigs. available data from vaccination/challenge experiments in pigs indicate that asf protective immunity may be haemadsorption inhibition (hai) serotype-specific. recently, we have shown that two asfv proteins, cd2v ( ...	2016	27114233
functional characterization and inhibition of the type ii dna topoisomerase coded by african swine fever virus.	dna topoisomerases are essential for dna metabolism and while their role is well studied in prokaryotes and eukaryotes, it is less known for virally-encoded topoisomerases. african swine fever virus (asfv) is a nucleo-cytoplasmic large dna virus that infects ornithodoros ticks and all members of the family suidae, representing a global threat for pig husbandry with no effective vaccine nor treatment. it was recently demonstrated that asfv codes for a type ii topoisomerase, highlighting a possibl ...	2016	27060564
african swine fever virus introduction into the eu in 2014: experience of latvia.	african swine fever (asf) virus was introduced in latvia in june 2014. thirty-two outbreaks in domestic pigs and 217 cases in wild boar were notified in 2014. twenty-eight outbreaks (87.5%) were primary outbreaks. the contagiosity within pig herds was low. failure to use simple biosecurity measures to reduce the chance of virus introduction, for example by inadvertent feeding of locally produced virus contaminated fodder were the main causes for the outbreaks in backyard holdings. the infection ...	2016	27033903
development of cross-priming amplification for direct detection of the african swine fever virus, in pig and wild boar blood and sera samples.	african swine fever (asf) is considered a major threat to the production of pigs worldwide. the asf aetiological agent, asfv, is the sole member of the asfivirus genus, belonging to the asfarviridae family. an effective asf vaccine is not currently available, thus the only measures of asf spread control include, reliable and fast diagnosis. officially approved, diagnostic methods include, virus isolation, serological assays, including enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay and immunoperoxidase assay ...	2016	27002564
simultaneous typing of seven porcine pathogens by multiplex pcr with a gexp analyser.	a novel high-throughput method was developed for simultaneous detection and differentiation of seven porcine pathogens by multiplex pcr based on a genomelab gene expression profiler (gexp) analyser. the pathogens included in this study were pseudorabies virus (prv), classical swine fever virus (csfv), african swine fever virus (asfv), porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome virus (prrsv), porcine parvovirus (ppv), porcine circovirus type 2 (pcv-2) and japanese encephalitis virus (jev). sev ...	2016	26706731
deletion of the thymidine kinase gene induces complete attenuation of the georgia isolate of african swine fever virus.	african swine fever virus (asfv) is the etiological agent of a contagious and often lethal viral disease of domestic pigs. there are no vaccines to control africa swine fever (asf). experimental vaccines have been developed using genetically modified live attenuated asfvs obtained by specifically deleting virus genes involved in virulence, including the thymidine kinase (tk) gene. tk has been shown to be involved in the virulence of several viruses, including asfv. here we report the constructio ...	2016	26656424
deletion of african swine fever virus interferon inhibitors from the genome of a virulent isolate reduces virulence in domestic pigs and induces a protective response.	african swine fever virus (asfv) encodes multiple copies of mgf360 and mgf530/505 gene families. these genes have been implicated in the modulation of the type i interferon (ifn) response. we investigated the effect of modulating the ifn response on virus attenuation and induction of protective immunity by deleting genes mgf360 (mgf360-10l, 11l, 12l, 13l, 14l) and mgf530/505 (mgf530/505-1r, 2r and 3r) and interrupting genes (mgf360-9l and mgf530/505-4r) in the genome of the virulent asfv isolate ...	2016	27521231
the ep152r orf of african swine fever virus strain georgia encodes for an essential gene that interacts with host protein bag6.	african swine fever virus (asfv) is the etiological agent of a contagious and often lethal disease of domestic pigs that has significant economic consequences for the swine industry. the viral genome encodes for more than 150 genes, and only a select few of these genes have been studied in some detail. here we report the characterization of open reading frame ep152r that has a predicted complement control module/scr domain. this domain is found in vaccinia virus proteins that are involved in blo ...	2016	27497620
genetic characterization of circulating african swine fever viruses in nigeria (2007-2015).	sequencing and analysis of three discrete genome regions of african swine fever viruses (asfv) from archival samples collected in 2007-2011 and active and passive surveillance between 2012 and 2015 in nigeria were carried out. analysis was conducted by genotyping of three single-copy african swine fever (asf) genes. the e183l and b646l genes that encode structural proteins p54 and p72, respectively, were utilized to delineate genotypes before intragenotypic resolution by characterization of the ...	2016	27480888
development of a duplex lateral flow assay for simultaneous detection of antibodies against african and classical swine fever viruses.	classical swine fever (csf) and african swine fever (asf) are both highly contagious diseases of domestic pigs and wild boar and are clinically indistinguishable. for both diseases, antibody detection is an integral and crucial part of prevention and control measures. the purpose of our study was to develop and initially validate a duplex pen-side test for simultaneous detection and differentiation of specific antibodies against csf virus (csfv) and asf virus (asfv). the test was based on the ma ...	2016	27400954
pre-clinical evaluation of a real-time pcr assay on a portable instrument as a possible field diagnostic tool: experiences from the testing of clinical samples for african and classical swine fever viruses.	african swine fever (asf) and classical swine fever (csf) are two highly infectious transboundary animal diseases (tads) that are serious threats to the pig industry worldwide, including in china, the world's largest pork producer. in this study, a duplex real-time pcr assay was developed for the rapid detection and differentiation of african swine fever virus (asfv) and classical swine fever virus (csfv). the assay was performed on a portable, battery-powered pcr thermocycler with a low sample ...	2016	27311689
diagnosis and genotyping of african swine fever viruses from 2015 outbreaks in zambia.	in early 2015, a highly fatal haemorrhagic disease of domestic pigs resembling african swine fever (asf) occurred in north western, copperbelt, and lusaka provinces of zambia. molecular diagnosis by polymerase chain reaction targeting specific amplification of p72 (b646l) gene of asf virus (asfv) was conducted. fourteen out of 16 domestic pigs from the affected provinces were found to be positive for asfv. phylogenetic analyses based on part of the p72 and the complete p54 (e183l) genes revealed ...	2016	27247062
apigenin inhibits african swine fever virus infection in vitro.	african swine fever virus (asfv) is one of the most devastating diseases of domestic pigs for which no effective vaccines are available. flavonoids, natural products isolated from plants, have been reported to have significant in vitro and in vivo antiviral activity against different viruses. here, we tested the antiviral effect of five flavonoids on the replication of asfv in vero cells. our results showed a potent, dose-dependent anti-asfv effect of apigenin in vitro. time-of-addition experime ...	2016	27638776
development of a novel lateral flow assay for detection of african swine fever in blood.	african swine fever (asf) is a viral infectious disease of domestic and wild suids of all breeds and ages, causing a wide range of hemorrhagic syndromes and frequently characterized by high mortality. the disease is endemic in sub-saharan africa and sardinia. since 2007, it has also been present in different countries of eastern europe, where control measures have not been effective so far. the continued spread poses a serious threat to the swine industry worldwide. in the absence of vaccine, ea ...	2016	27633968
induction of robust immune responses in swine by using a cocktail of adenovirus-vectored african swine fever virus antigens.	the african swine fever virus (asfv) causes a fatal hemorrhagic disease in domestic swine, and at present no treatment or vaccine is available. natural and gene-deleted, live attenuated strains protect against closely related virulent strains; however, they are yet to be deployed and evaluated in the field to rule out chronic persistence and a potential for reversion to virulence. previous studies suggest that antibodies play a role in protection, but induction of cytotoxic t lymphocytes (ctls) ...	2016	27628166
evidence for the presence of african swine fever virus in an endemic region of western kenya in the absence of any reported outbreak.	african swine fever (asf), caused by african swine fever virus (asfv), is a severe haemorrhagic disease of pigs, outbreaks of which can have a devastating impact upon commercial and small-holder pig production. pig production in western kenya is characterised by low-input, free-range systems practised by poor farmers keeping between two and ten pigs. these farmers are particularly vulnerable to the catastrophic loss of livestock assets experienced in an asf outbreak. this study wished to expand ...	2016	27608711
evolution of african swine fever virus genes related to evasion of host immune response.	african swine fever (asf) is a notifiable and one of the most complex and devastating infectious disease of pigs, wild boars and other representatives of suidae family. african swine fever virus (asfv) developed various molecular mechanisms to evade host immune response including alteration of interferon production by multigene family protein (mgf505-2r), inhibition of nf-κb and nuclear activating factor in t-cells by the a238l protein, or modulation of host defense by cd2v lectin-like protein e ...	2016	27599940
il-23/il-17/g-csf pathway is associated with granulocyte recruitment to the lung during african swine fever.	the interleukin (il)-23/il-17 pathway plays a crucial role in various forms of inflammation but its function in acute african swine fever (asf) is not well understood. thus, in this study, we aimed to find out whether il-23/il-17/g-csf is released in acute asf and what function it may have. the present study revealed that the production of il-17 and il-23 were significantly increased in the sera of asfv infected pigs. using elisa, we found that the serum levels of il-23 and il-17 have overexpres ...	2016	27590426
experimental pig-to-pig transmission dynamics for african swine fever virus, georgia 2007/1 strain- corrigendum.		2016	27573924
association of the host immune response with protection using a live attenuated african swine fever virus model.	african swine fever (asf) is a lethal hemorrhagic disease of swine caused by a double-stranded dna virus, asf virus (asfv). there is no vaccine to prevent the disease and current control measures are limited to culling and restricting animal movement. swine infected with attenuated strains are protected against challenge with a homologous virulent virus, but there is limited knowledge of the host immune mechanisms generating that protection. swine infected with pretoriuskop/96/4 (pret4) virus de ...	2016	27782090
african swine fever virus: a new old enemy of europe	african swine fever (asf) is a highly contagious viral disease of swine with a mortality rate approaching 100 percent. african swine fever virus (asfv) is a double-stranded dna virus with a complex molecular structure. its large genome, encoding multiple virulence factors, allows for efficient replication, which takes place predominantly in the cytoplasm of monocytes and macrophages. also, asfv has the ability to interfere with cell signalling pathways, which leads to various modulations in the ...	2016	27770755
challenges for african swine fever vaccine development-"… perhaps the end of the beginning."	african swine fever (asf), an acute, viral hemorrhagic disease in domestic swine with mortality rates approaching 100%, is arguably the most significant emerging disease threat for the swine industry worldwide. devastating asf outbreaks and continuing epidemic in the caucasus region and russia (2007-to date) highlight significance of this disease threat. there is no vaccine for asf, thus leaving animal slaughter the only effective disease control option. it is clear, however, that vaccination is ...	2016	27756505
in vitro inhibition of african swine fever virus-topoisomerase ii disrupts viral replication.	african swine fever virus (asfv) is the etiological agent of a highly-contagious and fatal disease of domestic pigs, leading to serious socio-economic impact in affected countries. to date, neither a vaccine nor a selective anti-viral drug are available for prevention or treatment of african swine fever (asf), emphasizing the need for more detailed studies at the role of asfv proteins involved in viral dna replication and transcription. notably, asfv encodes for a functional type ii topoisomeras ...	2016	27568922
characterization of the atypical lymphocytes in african swine fever.	atypical lymphocytes usually described as lymphocytes with altered shape, increased dna amount, and larger size. for analysis of cause of genesis and source of atypical lymphocytes during african swine fever virus (asfv) infection, bone marrow, peripheral blood, and in vitro model were investigated.	2016	27536044
detection of african swine fever virus antibodies in serum and oral fluid specimens using a recombinant protein 30 (p30) dual matrix indirect elisa.	in the absence of effective vaccine(s), control of african swine fever caused by african swine fever virus (asfv) must be based on early, efficient, cost-effective detection and strict control and elimination strategies. for this purpose, we developed an indirect elisa capable of detecting asfv antibodies in either serum or oral fluid specimens. the recombinant protein used in the elisa was selected by comparing the early serum antibody response of asfv-infected pigs (nhv-p68 isolate) to three m ...	2016	27611939
antiviral role of ifitm proteins in african swine fever virus infection.	the interferon-induced transmembrane (ifitm) protein family is a group of antiviral restriction factors that impair flexibility and inhibit membrane fusion at the plasma or the endosomal membrane, restricting viral progression at entry. while ifitms are widely known to inhibit several single-stranded rna viruses, there are limited reports available regarding their effect in double-stranded dna viruses. in this work, we have analyzed a possible antiviral function of ifitms against a double strand ...	2016	27116236
evidence of hemolysis in pigs infected with highly virulent african swine fever virus.	the research was conducted to understand more profoundly the pathogenetic aspects of the acute form of the african swine fever (asf).	2016	28096614
effect of o. porcinus tick salivary gland extract on the african swine fever virus infection in domestic pig.	african swine fever is a haemorrhagic disease in pig production that can have disastrous financial consequences for farming. no vaccines are currently available and animal slaughtering or area zoning to restrict risk-related movements are the only effective measures to prevent the spread of the disease. ornithodoros soft ticks are known to transmit the african swine fever virus (asfv) to pigs in farms, following the natural epidemiologic cycle of the virus. tick saliva has been shown to modulate ...	2016	26828597
preventive measures aimed at minimizing the risk of african swine fever virus spread in pig farming systems.	african swine fever (asf) is one of the most severe diseases of pigs; it has a drastic impact on the pig industry, causing serious socio-economic consequences to pig farmers and pork producers. in europe, there are currently two main clusters of infection; one in sardinia caused by strains of african swine fever virus (asfv) belonging to genotype i and another in eastern europe caused by strains of asfv belonging to genotype ii. the latter is inducing an acute form of asf and it represents a ser ...	2016	27899125
african swine fever virus transmission cycles in central europe: evaluation of wild boar-soft tick contacts through detection of antibodies against ornithodoros erraticus saliva antigen.	african swine fever (asf) is one of the most complex viral diseases affecting both domestic and wild pigs. it is caused by asf virus (asfv), the only dna virus which can be efficiently transmitted by an arthropod vector, soft ticks of the genus ornithodoros. these ticks can be part of asfv-transmission cycles, and in europe, o. erraticus was shown to be responsible for long-term maintenance of asfv in spain and portugal. in 2014, the disease has been reintroduced into the european union, affecti ...	2016	26728767
assessment of the geographic distribution of ornithodoros turicata (argasidae): climate variation and host diversity.	ornithodoros turicata is a veterinary and medically important argasid tick that is recognized as a vector of the relapsing fever spirochete borrelia turicatae and african swine fever virus. historic collections of o. turicata have been recorded from latin america to the southern united states. however, the geographic distribution of this vector is poorly understood in relation to environmental variables, their hosts, and consequently the pathogens they transmit.	2016	26829327
molecular detection of torque teno sus virus and coinfection with african swine fever virus in blood samples of pigs from some slaughterhouses in nigeria.	torque teno sus virus 1 (ttsuv1a/ttsuv1b) infection is present in pig herds worldwide. this study investigated the prevalence of ttsuv1a/ttsuv1b infections in domestic pigs from some slaughterhouses in nigeria as well as coinfection with african swine fever virus (asfv) and described the phylogeny in relation to global strains. one hundred and eighty-one (181) blood samples from four slaughterhouses were used for the study and viral nucleic acid detection was carried out by pcr. comparative sequ ...	2016	27833640
[african swine fever in russian federation].	african swine fever (asf) is an infectious viral disease that causes high economic losses due to the necessity of depopulation of pigs in affected areas, sanitary measures, trade restrictions, etc. the virus (asfv) is relatively stable in the unprocessed meat products and environment. thus, large areas are at risk due to free movement of people and products. the asfv does not affect people and animals, except the wild and domestic pigs. some ticks can become infected and carry the virus for year ...	2016	23248852
[dynamics of changes in the composition of leukocyte population of peripheral blood during the african swine fever].	the comparison of the composition of leukocytes of peripheral blood of healthy and infected swine revealed the quantitative alterations, as well as the appearance of new cells in leukocyte population during african swine fever. it was determined that african swine fever virus induced mass-scale mortality of cells of peripheral blood, especially lymphocytes and neutrophiles. the number of the dead cells reaches 60% of the initial number of all cells at the end of infection. it was also revealed t ...	2016	23012981
investigations of pro- and anti-apoptotic factors affecting african swine fever virus replication and pathogenesis.	african swine fever virus (asfv) is a large dna virus that replicates predominantly in the cell cytoplasm and is the only member of the asfarviridae family. the virus causes an acute haemorrhagic fever, african swine fever (asf), in domestic pigs and wild boar resulting in the death of most infected animals. apoptosis is induced at an early stage during virus entry or uncoating. however, asfv encodes anti-apoptotic proteins which facilitate production of progeny virions. these anti-apoptotic pro ...	2017	28841179
ba71δcd2: a new recombinant live attenuated african swine fever virus with cross-protective capabilities.	african swine fever is a highly contagious viral disease of mandatory declaration to the world organization for animal health (oie). lack of available vaccines make its control difficult and thus asfv represents a major threat to the swine industry. inactivated vaccines do not confer solid protection against african swine fever virus (asfv). conversely, live attenuated viruses (lav), either naturally isolated or obtained by genetic manipulation, have demonstrated reliable protection against homo ...	2017	28814514
estimation of the transmission dynamics of african swine fever virus within a swine house.	the spread of african swine fever virus (asfv) threatens to reach further parts of europe. in countries with a large swine production, an outbreak of asf may result in devastating economic consequences for the swine industry. simulation models can assist decision makers setting up contingency plans. this creates a need for estimation of parameters. this study presents a new analysis of a previously published study. a full likelihood framework is presented including the impact of model assumption ...	2017	28768556
a proteomic insight into the midgut proteome of ornithodoros moubata females reveals novel information on blood digestion in argasid ticks.	the argasid tick ornithodoros moubata is the main african vector of the human relapsing fever agent borrelia duttoni and the african swine fever virus. together with saliva, the tick midgut forms part of the host-tick-pathogen interface, and numerous midgut proteins play key functions in the blood digestion-related process and the infection and transmission of pathogens. this work explores the composition of the midgut proteome of unfed and fed o. moubata females with the aim to complete the bio ...	2017	28764815
african swine fever virus infection in classical swine fever subclinically infected wild boars.	recently moderate-virulence classical swine fever virus (csfv) strains have been proven capable of generating postnatal persistent infection (pi), defined by the maintenance of viremia and the inability to generate csfv-specific immune responses in animals. these animals also showed a type i interferon blockade in the absence of clinical signs. in this study, we assessed the infection generated in 7-week-old csfv pi wild boars after infection with the african swine fever virus (asfv). the wild b ...	2017	28764692
evaluation of blowfly larvae (diptera: calliphoridae) as possible reservoirs and mechanical vectors of african swine fever virus.	in 2014, highly virulent african swine fever virus (asfv) was introduced into the baltic states and poland, with new cases being reported almost every week from wild boar and also from domestic pigs. contrary to initial predictions that the disease would either die out due to the high virulence of the virus strain or spread rapidly in westerly direction, the infection became endemic and spread slowly. the unexpected disease epidemiology led to the hypothesis that hitherto unconsidered factors mi ...	2017	28762629
vaccinia virus and cowpox virus are not susceptible to the interferon-induced antiviral protein mxa.	mxa protein is expressed in response to type i and type iii interferon and constitute an important antiviral factor with broad antiviral activity to diverse rna viruses. in addition, some studies expand the range of mxa antiviral activity to include particular dna viruses like monkeypox virus (mpxv) and african swine fever virus (asfv). however, a broad profile of activity of mxa to large dna viruses has not been established to date. here, we investigated if some well characterized dna viruses b ...	2017	28727764
pacmanvirus, a new giant icosahedral virus at the crossroads between asfarviridae and faustoviruses.	african swine fever virus, a double-stranded dna virus that infects pigs, is the only known member of the asfarviridae family. nevertheless, during our isolation and sequencing of the complete genome of faustovirus, followed by the description of kaumoebavirus, carried out over the past 2 years, we observed the emergence of previously unknown related viruses within this group of viruses. here we describe the isolation of pacmanvirus, a fourth member in this group, which is capable of infecting a ...	2017	28446673
detection of african swine fever virus in the tissues of asymptomatic pigs in smallholder farming systems along the kenya-uganda border: implications for transmission in endemic areas and asf surveillance in east africa.	the persistence of african swine fever virus (asfv) in endemic areas, with small-scale but regular outbreaks in domestic pigs, is not well understood. asfv has not been detected using conventional diagnosis in these pigs or adjacent populations of resistant african wild pigs, that could act as potential carriers during the outbreaks. however, such data are crucial for the design of evidence-based control strategies. we conducted cross-sectional (1107 pigs) and longitudinal (100 pigs) monitoring ...	2017	28721858