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Early Diagnosis and Surveillance of Transboundary and Emerging Viral Diseases...
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Early Diagnosis and Surveillance of Transboundary and Emerging Viral Diseases of Animals

A special issue of Viruses (ISSN 1999-4915). This special issue belongs to the section "Animal Viruses".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 31 December 2024 | Viewed by 8076

Special Issue Editor

Dr. Aruna Ambagala

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Canadian Food Inspection Agency, National Center for Foreign Animal Disease, Winnipeg, MB, Canada
Interests: transboundary and emerging animal diseases
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Rapid and accurate identification is critical for the effective control and eradication of transboundary and emerging viral diseases. Most of these diseases cannot be differentially identified based on clinical signs, especially during the early stages of infection. The currently available diagnostic assays for transboundary viral diseases of animals are highly specific and sensitive; however, they are almost exclusively performed in central laboratories using sophisticated instrumentation by highly skilled laboratory staff. Some of the assays also requires the use of live virus and therefore cannot be performed outside high-containment laboratories, limiting their use. Furthermore, the sample types recommended for these assays are mostly based on individual animals, and therefore, the collection of these samples requires a substantial amount of human and financial resources, and often causes undue stress to the animals. Hence, in order to enhance surveillance for transboundary diseases in both endemic and disease-free countries, novel diagnostic tools and approaches are required.

In this Special Issue, we will focus on novel diagnostic approaches for the rapid detection of transboundary and emerging diseases, both in the laboratory as well as in the field. This Special Issue offers an opportunity for the scientists to share high-quality research in the areas of the development and/or validation of novel and/or improved diagnostic assays that can be used in both low- and high-containment laboratories or in the field (portable assays). This Special Issue also welcome studies conducted on the evaluation and/or validation of novel, alternative sample types that can be used for the early detection and/or the enhancement of ongoing surveillance of transboundary and emerging animal diseases. 

Dr. Aruna Ambagala
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

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Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2600 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • diagnostics
  • surveillance
  • transboundary
  • emerging
  • animal diseases
  • virus
  • detection
  • validation
  • novel
  • sample types
  • alternative

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Published Papers (8 papers)

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12 pages, 1310 KiB  
Article
Effect of High Temperature Exposure and Laboratory Processing Techniques on the Diagnostic Performance of Dry Swabs for the Detection of African Swine Fever Virus
by Leonard Izzard, David T. Williams and Peter A. Durr
Viruses 2024, 16(12), 1812; https://doi.org/10.3390/v16121812 - 21 Nov 2024
Viewed by 347
Abstract
One of the key surveillance strategies for the early detection of an African swine fever (ASF) incursion into a country is the sampling of wild or feral pig populations. In Australia, the remote northern regions are considered a risk pathway for ASF incursion [...] Read more.
One of the key surveillance strategies for the early detection of an African swine fever (ASF) incursion into a country is the sampling of wild or feral pig populations. In Australia, the remote northern regions are considered a risk pathway for ASF incursion due to the combination of high numbers of feral pigs and their close proximity to countries where ASF is present. These regions primarily consist of isolated arid rangelands with high average environmental temperatures. A specific objective of this study was to assess whether the exposure of swabs to the high temperatures that may be encountered in outback Australia, over an extended period, would reduce the diagnostic sensitivity (DSe) of real-time PCR (qPCR) to detect ASF virus (ASFV). We found that the extended heat exposure (up to 45 °C) of FLOQSwabs or GenoTube swabs, either prior to blood sampling or post sampling, showed no reduction in the DSe of the ASFV qPCR compared to swabs stored at room temperature (~21 °C). We also assessed an improved DNA extraction method for samples collected using GenoTube swabs to obtain DSe results comparable to FLOQSwabs. Taken together, these experiments demonstrate that dry swabs can provide the basis for an effective low-cost surveillance system for ASF in situations where extended exposure to high environmental temperatures is unavoidable. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Early Diagnosis and Surveillance of Transboundary and Emerging Viral Diseases of Animals)
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9 pages, 1204 KiB  
Communication
Assessment of Nine Real-Time PCR Kits for African Swine Fever Virus Approved in Republic of Korea
by Siwon Lee, Tae Uk Han and Jin-Ho Kim
Viruses 2024, 16(10), 1627; https://doi.org/10.3390/v16101627 - 17 Oct 2024
Viewed by 841
Abstract
The African swine fever virus (ASFV) causes severe disease in wild and domestic pigs, with high mortality rates, extensive spread, and significant economic losses globally. Despite ongoing efforts, an effective vaccine remains elusive. Therefore, effective diagnostic methods are needed to rapidly detect and [...] Read more.
The African swine fever virus (ASFV) causes severe disease in wild and domestic pigs, with high mortality rates, extensive spread, and significant economic losses globally. Despite ongoing efforts, an effective vaccine remains elusive. Therefore, effective diagnostic methods are needed to rapidly detect and prevent the further spread of ASF. This study assessed nine commercial kits based on real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR) approved in the Republic of Korea using the synthesized ASFV plasmid, 20 food waste samples, and artificially spiked samples (ASSs). The kits were evaluated for their diagnostic sensitivity, specificity, cost per reaction, and reaction running time. In addition, the results were compared with those of the World Organization for Animal Health (WOAH) standard methods. Three commercial kits (VDx® ASFV qPCR Kit, Palm PCR™ ASFV Fast PCR Kit, and PowerChek™ ASFV Real-time PCR Detection Kit Ver.1.0) demonstrated the highest sensitivity (100 ag/μL), cost-effectiveness (less than KRW 10,000), and shortest running time (less than 70 min). These kits are suitable for the monitoring, early diagnosis, and prevention of the spread of ASF. This is the first report on the performance comparison of ASFV diagnostic kits approved in the Republic of Korea, providing valuable information for selecting kits for testing with food waste samples. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Early Diagnosis and Surveillance of Transboundary and Emerging Viral Diseases of Animals)
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16 pages, 1590 KiB  
Article
Camelpox Virus in Western Kazakhstan: Assessment of the Role of Local Fauna as Reservoirs of Infection
by Yerbol Bulatov, Sholpan Turyskeldy, Ruslan Abitayev, Abdurakhman Usembai, Zhanna Sametova, Zhanat Kondybayeva, Alina Kurmasheva, Dana Mazbayeva, Asselya Kyrgyzbayeva, Kamshat Shorayeva, Zhanat Amanova and Dariya Toktyrova
Viruses 2024, 16(10), 1626; https://doi.org/10.3390/v16101626 - 17 Oct 2024
Viewed by 657
Abstract
This article investigates the role of local fauna in Western Kazakhstan as potential reservoirs of the camelpox virus (CMLV). The study emphasizes analyzing possible sources and transmission pathways of the virus using polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and serological methods, including virus neutralization tests [...] Read more.
This article investigates the role of local fauna in Western Kazakhstan as potential reservoirs of the camelpox virus (CMLV). The study emphasizes analyzing possible sources and transmission pathways of the virus using polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and serological methods, including virus neutralization tests and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays (ELISA). Samples were collected from both young and adult camels, as well as rodents, ticks and blood-sucking insects in the Mangystau and Atyrau regions. The PCR results revealed the absence of viral DNA in rodents, ticks and blood-sucking insects; also, the ELISA test did not detect specific antibodies in rodents. These findings suggest that these groups of fauna likely do not play a significant role in the maintenance and spread of CMLV. Consequently, the primary sources of transmission are likely other factors, potentially including the camels themselves. The study’s results indicate the need to reassess current hypotheses regarding infection reservoirs and to explore alternative sources to enhance strategies for the control and prevention of the camelpox virus. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Early Diagnosis and Surveillance of Transboundary and Emerging Viral Diseases of Animals)
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15 pages, 2799 KiB  
Article
Monitoring of Respiratory Disease Patterns in a Multimicrobially Infected Pig Population Using Artificial Intelligence and Aggregate Samples
by Matthias Eddicks, Franziska Feicht, Jochen Beckjunker, Marika Genzow, Carmen Alonso, Sven Reese, Mathias Ritzmann and Julia Stadler
Viruses 2024, 16(10), 1575; https://doi.org/10.3390/v16101575 - 6 Oct 2024
Viewed by 938
Abstract
A 24/7 AI sound-based coughing monitoring system was applied in combination with oral fluids (OFs) and bioaerosol (AS)-based screening for respiratory pathogens in a conventional pig nursery. The objective was to assess the additional value of the AI to identify disease patterns in [...] Read more.
A 24/7 AI sound-based coughing monitoring system was applied in combination with oral fluids (OFs) and bioaerosol (AS)-based screening for respiratory pathogens in a conventional pig nursery. The objective was to assess the additional value of the AI to identify disease patterns in association with molecular diagnostics to gain information on the etiology of respiratory distress in a multimicrobially infected pig population. Respiratory distress was measured 24/7 by the AI and compared to human observations. Screening for swine influenza A virus (swIAV), porcine reproductive and respiratory disease virus (PRRSV), Mycoplasma (M.) hyopneumoniae, Actinobacillus (A.) pleuropneumoniae, and porcine circovirus 2 (PCV2) was conducted using qPCR. Except for M. hyopneumoniae, all of the investigated pathogens were detected within the study period. High swIAV-RNA loads in OFs and AS were significantly associated with a decrease in respiratory health, expressed by a respiratory health score calculated by the AI The odds of detecting PRRSV or A. pleuropneumoniae were significantly higher for OFs compared to AS. qPCR examinations of OFs revealed significantly lower Ct-values for swIAV and A. pleuropneumoniae compared to AS. In addition to acting as an early warning system, AI gained respiratory health data combined with laboratory diagnostics, can indicate the etiology of respiratory distress. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Early Diagnosis and Surveillance of Transboundary and Emerging Viral Diseases of Animals)
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19 pages, 3736 KiB  
Article
Development and Validation of Serotype-Specific Blocking ELISA for the Detection of Anti-FMDV O/A/Asia1/SAT2 Antibodies
by Mohammad A. Kashem, Patrycja Sroga, Vivien Salazar, Hamza Amjad, Kate Hole, Janice Koziuk, Ming Yang, Charles Nfon and Shawn Babiuk
Viruses 2024, 16(9), 1438; https://doi.org/10.3390/v16091438 - 10 Sep 2024
Viewed by 1121
Abstract
Foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) is one of the most infectious viral transboundary diseases of livestock, which causes devastating global economic losses. Different enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays (ELISAs) are used for sero-surveillance of the foot-and-mouth disease virus (FMDV). However, more sensitive, accurate, and convenient ELISAs are [...] Read more.
Foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) is one of the most infectious viral transboundary diseases of livestock, which causes devastating global economic losses. Different enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays (ELISAs) are used for sero-surveillance of the foot-and-mouth disease virus (FMDV). However, more sensitive, accurate, and convenient ELISAs are still required to detect antibodies against FMDV serotypes. The primary goal of this study was to establish serotype-specific monoclonal antibody (mAb)-based blocking ELISAs (mAb-bELISAs) that would provide better performance characteristics or be equivalent in performance characteristics compared with a conventional polyclonal antibody (pAb)-based competitive ELISA (pAb-cELISA). Four mAb-bELISAs were developed using FMDV serotype-specific mAbs for the detection of anti-FMDV/O/A/Asia1/SAT2 antibodies. Using a 50% cut-off, all four mAb-bELISAs exhibited species-independent 99.74%, 98.01%, 96.59%, and 98.55% diagnostic specificity (DSp) and 98.93%, 98.25%, 100%, and 87.50% diagnostic sensitivity (DSe) for FMDV serotypes O, A, Asia1, and SAT2, respectively. In addition, a 100% DSe of serotypes O- and SAT2-specific mAb-bELISAs was observed for porcine sera when the cut-off was 30%. All mAb-bELISAs developed in this study displayed high repeatability/reproducibility without cross-reactivity. Finally, the diagnostic performance of mAb-bELISAs was found to be better than or equivalent to compared with pAb-cELISAs, suggesting that mAb-bELISAs can be used to replace existing pAb-ELISAs for the detection of antibodies against these four FMDV serotypes. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Early Diagnosis and Surveillance of Transboundary and Emerging Viral Diseases of Animals)
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11 pages, 1746 KiB  
Article
Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay Using Henipavirus-Receptor EphrinB2 and Monoclonal Antibodies for Detecting Nipah and Hendra Viruses
by Wenjun Zhu, Greg Smith, Bradley Pickering, Logan Banadyga and Ming Yang
Viruses 2024, 16(5), 794; https://doi.org/10.3390/v16050794 - 16 May 2024
Viewed by 1054
Abstract
The Nipah virus (NiV) and the Hendra virus (HeV) are highly pathogenic zoonotic diseases that can cause fatal infections in humans and animals. Early detection is critical for the control of NiV and HeV infections. We present the development of two antigen-detection ELISAs [...] Read more.
The Nipah virus (NiV) and the Hendra virus (HeV) are highly pathogenic zoonotic diseases that can cause fatal infections in humans and animals. Early detection is critical for the control of NiV and HeV infections. We present the development of two antigen-detection ELISAs (AgELISAs) using the henipavirus-receptor EphrinB2 and monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) to detect NiV and HeV. The NiV AgELISA detected only NiV, whereas the NiV/HeV AgELISA detected both NiV and HeV. The diagnostic specificities of the NiV AgELISA and the NiV/HeV AgELISA were 100% and 97.8%, respectively. Both assays were specific for henipaviruses and showed no cross-reactivity with other viruses. The AgELISAs detected NiV antigen in experimental pig nasal wash samples taken at 4 days post-infection. With the combination of both AgELISAs, NiV can be differentiated from HeV. Complementing other henipavirus detection methods, these two newly developed AgELISAs can rapidly detect NiV and HeV in a large number of samples and are suitable for use in remote areas where other tests are not available. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Early Diagnosis and Surveillance of Transboundary and Emerging Viral Diseases of Animals)
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17 pages, 4228 KiB  
Brief Report
Full-Length ASFV B646L Gene Sequencing by Nanopore Offers a Simple and Rapid Approach for Identifying ASFV Genotypes
by Vivian O’Donnell, Edward Spinard, Lizhe Xu, Amy Berninger, Roger W. Barrette, Douglas P. Gladue and Bonto Faburay
Viruses 2024, 16(10), 1522; https://doi.org/10.3390/v16101522 - 26 Sep 2024
Viewed by 1065
Abstract
African swine fever (ASF) is an acute, highly hemorrhagic viral disease in domestic pigs and wild boars. The disease is caused by African swine fever virus, a double stranded DNA virus of the Asfarviridae family. ASF can be classified into 25 different genotypes, [...] Read more.
African swine fever (ASF) is an acute, highly hemorrhagic viral disease in domestic pigs and wild boars. The disease is caused by African swine fever virus, a double stranded DNA virus of the Asfarviridae family. ASF can be classified into 25 different genotypes, based on a 478 bp fragment corresponding to the C-terminal sequence of the B646L gene, which is highly conserved among strains and encodes the major capsid protein p72. The C-terminal end of p72 has been used as a PCR target for quick diagnosis of ASF, and its characterization remains the first approach for epidemiological tracking and identification of the origin of ASF in outbreak investigations. Recently, a new classification of ASF, based on the complete sequence of p72, reduced the 25 genotypes into only six genotypes; therefore, it is necessary to have the capability to sequence the full-length B646L gene (p72) in a rapid manner for quick genotype characterization. Here, we evaluate the use of an amplicon approach targeting the whole B646L gene, coupled with nanopore sequencing in a multiplex format using Flongle flow cells, as an easy, low cost, and rapid method for the characterization and genotyping of ASF in real-time. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Early Diagnosis and Surveillance of Transboundary and Emerging Viral Diseases of Animals)
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12 pages, 1201 KiB  
Brief Report
Rapid Detection and Quick Characterization of African Swine Fever Virus Using the VolTRAX Automated Library Preparation Platform
by Vivian O’Donnell, Jim L. Pierce, Oleg Osipenko, Lizhe Xu, Amy Berninger, Steven M. Lakin, Roger W. Barrette, Douglas P. Gladue and Bonto Faburay
Viruses 2024, 16(5), 731; https://doi.org/10.3390/v16050731 - 5 May 2024
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1225
Abstract
African swine fever virus (ASFV) is the causative agent of a severe and highly contagious viral disease affecting domestic and wild swine. The current ASFV pandemic strain has a high mortality rate, severely impacting pig production and, for countries suffering outbreaks, preventing the [...] Read more.
African swine fever virus (ASFV) is the causative agent of a severe and highly contagious viral disease affecting domestic and wild swine. The current ASFV pandemic strain has a high mortality rate, severely impacting pig production and, for countries suffering outbreaks, preventing the export of their pig products for international trade. Early detection and diagnosis of ASFV is necessary to control new outbreaks before the disease spreads rapidly. One of the rate-limiting steps to identify ASFV by next-generation sequencing platforms is library preparation. Here, we investigated the capability of the Oxford Nanopore Technologies’ VolTRAX platform for automated DNA library preparation with downstream sequencing on Nanopore sequencing platforms as a proof-of-concept study to rapidly identify the strain of ASFV. Within minutes, DNA libraries prepared using VolTRAX generated near-full genome sequences of ASFV. Thus, our data highlight the use of the VolTRAX as a platform for automated library preparation, coupled with sequencing on the MinION Mk1C for field sequencing or GridION within a laboratory setting. These results suggest a proof-of-concept study that VolTRAX is an effective tool for library preparation that can be used for the rapid and real-time detection of ASFV. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Early Diagnosis and Surveillance of Transboundary and Emerging Viral Diseases of Animals)
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