title: Assessment of African Swine Fever Diagnostic Techniques as a Response to the Epidemic Outbreaks in Eastern European Union Countries: How To Improve Surveillance and Control Programs.
abstract: This study represents a complete comparative analysis of the most widely used African swine fever (ASF) diagnostic techniques in the European Union (EU) using field and experimental samples from animals infected with genotype II ASF virus (ASFV) isolates circulating in Europe. To detect ASFV, three different PCRs were evaluated in parallel using 785 field and experimental samples. The results showed almost perfect agreement between the Universal ProbeLibrary (UPL-PCR) and the real-time (κ = 0.94 [95% confidence interval {CI}, 0.91 to 0.97]) and conventional (κ = 0.88 [95% CI, 0.83 to 0.92]) World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE)-prescribed PCRs. The UPL-PCR had greater diagnostic sensitivity for detecting survivors and allows earlier detection of the disease. Compared to the commercial antigen enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), good-to-moderate agreement (κ = 0.67 [95% CI, 0.58 to 0.76]) was obtained, with a sensitivity of 77.2% in the commercial test. For ASF antibody detection, five serological methods were tested, including three commercial ELISAs, the OIE-ELISA, and the confirmatory immunoperoxidase test (IPT). Greater sensitivity was obtained with the IPT than with the ELISAs, since the IPT was able to detect ASF antibodies at an earlier point in the serological response, when few antibodies are present. The analysis of the exudate tissues from dead wild boars showed that IPT might be a useful serological tool for determining whether or not animals had been exposed to virus infection, regardless of whether antibodies were present. In conclusion, the UPL-PCR in combination with the IPT was the most trustworthy method for detecting ASF during the epidemic outbreaks affecting EU countries in 2014. The use of the most appropriate diagnostic tools is critical when implementing effective control programs.
authors.affiliation: European Union Reference Laboratory for African Swine Fever (EURL), Centro de Investigación en Sanidad Animal, CISA/INIA, Valdeolmos, Madrid, Spain gallardo@inia.es.
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Gallardo
authors.affiliation: European Union Reference Laboratory for African Swine Fever (EURL), Centro de Investigación en Sanidad Animal, CISA/INIA, Valdeolmos, Madrid, Spain.
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Nieto
authors.affiliation: European Union Reference Laboratory for African Swine Fever (EURL), Centro de Investigación en Sanidad Animal, CISA/INIA, Valdeolmos, Madrid, Spain.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Soler
authors.affiliation: European Union Reference Laboratory for African Swine Fever (EURL), Centro de Investigación en Sanidad Animal, CISA/INIA, Valdeolmos, Madrid, Spain.
authors.forename: V
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Pelayo
authors.affiliation: European Union Reference Laboratory for African Swine Fever (EURL), Centro de Investigación en Sanidad Animal, CISA/INIA, Valdeolmos, Madrid, Spain.
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Fernández-Pinero
authors.affiliation: National Veterinary Research Institute, Pulawy, Poland.
authors.forename: I
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Markowska-Daniel
authors.affiliation: National Food and Veterinary Risk Assessment Institute, Vilnius, Lithuania.
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Pridotkas
authors.affiliation: Estonian Veterinary and Food Laboratory, Tartu, Estonia.
authors.forename: I
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Nurmoja
authors.affiliation: Institute of Food Safety, Animal Health and Environment BIOR, Riga, Latvia.
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Granta
authors.affiliation: European Union Reference Laboratory for African Swine Fever (EURL), Centro de Investigación en Sanidad Animal, CISA/INIA, Valdeolmos, Madrid, Spain.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Simón
authors.affiliation: European Union Reference Laboratory for African Swine Fever (EURL), Centro de Investigación en Sanidad Animal, CISA/INIA, Valdeolmos, Madrid, Spain.
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Pérez
authors.affiliation: European Union Reference Laboratory for African Swine Fever (EURL), Centro de Investigación en Sanidad Animal, CISA/INIA, Valdeolmos, Madrid, Spain.
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Martín
authors.affiliation: European Union Reference Laboratory for African Swine Fever (EURL), Centro de Investigación en Sanidad Animal, CISA/INIA, Valdeolmos, Madrid, Spain.
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Fernández-Pacheco
authors.affiliation: European Union Reference Laboratory for African Swine Fever (EURL), Centro de Investigación en Sanidad Animal, CISA/INIA, Valdeolmos, Madrid, Spain.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Arias
mesh_terms: D000357:African Swine Fever / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000453:epidemiology*; D000818:Animals; D004196:Disease Outbreaks; D062665:Epidemiological Monitoring; D005061:Europe, Eastern / Q000453:epidemiology; D005062:European Union; D025202:Molecular Diagnostic Techniques / Q000379:methods*; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction / Q000379:methods*; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D012698:Serologic Tests / Q000379:methods*; D013552:Swine; D013997:Time Factors; D014730:Veterinary Medicine / Q000379:methods*