Search

Simple Summary: African swine fever (ASF) is a highly lethal viral disease affecting suids and caused by the African Swine Fever Virus (ASFV). ASF was described for the first time in 1921 in Kenya. The ASF genotype I virus was introduced to Europe in 1957, marking the onset of the first European wave. In 2007, ASFV genotype II was detected in Georgia, affecting domestic pigs and wild boars, and it later spread to several European and extra-European countries, including Italy. This report focuses on the strategic challenges encountered in the attempt to eradicate ASFV amongst domestic pigs in the Lombardy region. The joint efforts that were implemented facilitated the eradication of ASF in domestic pigs in just over 1.5 months, representing an example of effective and timely cooperation to mitigate both the spread of the infection and the economic repercussions for the Italian and global pig industries. African swine fever (ASF) is a severe viral disease characterized by high lethality in suids and caused by the African Swine Fever Virus (ASFV). The ASF genotype I virus was introduced to Europe in 1957, marking the onset of the first European epidemic wave. In 2007, ASFV genotype II was detected in Georgia, affecting domestic pigs and wild boars before spreading to various European and extra-European countries, including Italy. The first case of ASFV in Italy was documented on 7 January 2022, in a wild boar in the Piedmont region. Since then, several ASFV-positive wild boar carcasses have been identified in the Piedmont and Liguria regions. By June 2023, ASFV had spread to Lombardy, one of the major pig-producing regions in northern Italy; the virus was first detected in early summer in wild boar carcasses. Two months later, it was diagnosed in a commercial pig farm as a consequence of the disease's spread amongst wild boars and an increase in the viral environmental load. This report aims to describe the features of ASFV domestic pig outbreaks that occurred in the Zinasco municipality (Lombardy) and the joint efforts to mitigate potential direct and indirect economic impacts on the Italian and global pig industry. The epidemiological investigation and the measures implemented, which were all performed according to national and European regulations, as well as exceptional ad hoc measures aimed at protecting the pig industry, are described in order to provide a practical and effective approach to combating ASF. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Atypical porcine pestivirus (APPV) is a newly recognized member of the Flaviviridae family. This novel porcine pestivirus was first described in 2015 in the USA, where it has been associated with congenital tremor type A-II in new-born piglets. APPV is widely distributed in domestic pigs in Europe and Asia. In this study, a virological survey was performed in Northern Italy to investigate the presence of APPV using molecular methods. Testing of 360 abortion samples from pig herds revealed two APPV strains from distinct provinces in the Lombardy region and testing of 430 wild boar blood samples revealed three strains, one from Lombardy and two from Emilia Romagna. The nucleotide sequencing of a fragment of the nonstructural protein 3-coding region revealed a high similarity to the previously detected European strains (Spanish, German, and Italian) of APPV. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: To date, three subtypes of swine influenza viruses, H1N1, H1N2, and H3N2 have been isolated in Italy. In 2006, a novel swine influenza virus subtype (H3N1) was isolated from coughing pigs. RT-PCR performed on lung tissues, experimental infection in pigs with the novel isolate, and cloning the virus by plaque assay confirmed this unique H and N combination. The novel isolate was also antigenically and genetically characterized. Genetic and phylogenetic analysis showed that the complete HA gene of the H3N1 strain has the highest nucleotide identity to three Italian H3N2 strains, one isolated in 2001 and two in 2004, whereas the full length NA sequence is closely related to three H1N1 subtype viruses isolated in Italy in 2004. The remaining genes are also closely related to respective genes found in H1N1 and H3N2 SIVs currently circulating in Italy. This suggests that the novel SIV could be a reassortant between the H3N2 and H1N1 SIVs circulating in Italy. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]