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Viral Co-Infections of Warthogs in Namibia with African Swine Fever Virus and Porcine Parvovirus 1.

ABSTRACT: Understanding virus circulation in wild animals, particularly those that have contact with domestic animals, is crucial for disease management and control. In Africa, warthogs are known to be asymptomatic carriers of porcine pathogens; a recent study in Namibia has shown them to be positive for Porcine circovirus-2 (PCV-2). In this study, the same samples used for the PCV-2 investigation in Namibia were further screened for the presence of African swine fever virus (ASFV) and porcine parvovirus 1 (PPV1) by PCR. Of the 42 animals tested, 2 (4.8%) and 13 (31%) were positive for AFSV and PPV1, respectively. The two AFSV were also co-infected with PPV1. Combing the results of this study with the results of the previous PCV-2 investigation, four warthogs were shown to be co-infected with both PPV1 and PCV-2. Sequence and phylogenetic analysis revealed that the AFSV belonged to genotype (Ib) but were from different serogroups. Unexpectedly, the ASFVs from the warthogs were genetically distinct to those observed in an outbreak in the same region of Namibia that occurred less than fifteen months prior to the sampling of the warthogs. In fact, a stronger genetic relationship was observed between the warthog viruses and historical Namibian and South African ASFVs identified in 1980, 2004 and 2008. For the PPV1s, the closest relative to the Namibian PPV1 were viruses identified in wild boar in Romania in 2011. This study confirms that warthogs are carriers of porcine pathogens and the data should encourage further studies on larger populations of wild and domestic swine to more fully understand the epidemiology and transmission of viral pathogens from these species.

SUBMITTER: Molini U

PROVIDER: S-EPMC9265065 | biostudies-literature |

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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Project description:: African swine fever is a devastating hemorrhagic infectious disease, which affects domestic and wild swines (Susscrofa) of all breeds and ages, with a high lethality of up to 90-100% in naïve animals. The causative agent, African swine fever virus (ASFV), is a large and complex double-stranded DNA arbovirus which is currently spreading worldwide, with serious socioeconomic consequences. There is no treatment or effective vaccine commercially available, and most of the current research is focused on attenuated viral models, with limited success so far. Thus, new strategies are under investigation. Extracellular vesicles (EVs) have proven to be a promising new vaccination platform for veterinary diseases in situations in which conventional approaches have not been completely successful. Here, serum extracellular vesicles from infected pigs using two different ASFV viruses (OURT 88/3 and Benin ΔMGF), corresponding to a naturally attenuated virus and a deletion mutant, respectively, were characterized in order to determine possible differences in the content of swine and viral proteins in EV-enriched fractions. Firstly, EVs were characterized by their CD5, CD63, CD81 and CD163 surface expression. Secondly, ASFV proteins were detected on the surface of EVs from ASFV-infected pig serum. Finally, proteomic analysis revealed few specific proteins from ASFV in the EVs, but 942 swine proteins were detected in all EV preparations (negative controls, and OURT 88/3 and Benin ΔMGF-infected preparations). However, in samples from OURT 88/3-infected animals, only a small number of proteins were differentially identified compared to control uninfected animals. Fifty-six swine proteins (Group Benin) and seven proteins (Group OURT 88/3) were differentially detected on EVs when compared to the EV control group. Most of these were related to coagulation cascades. The results presented here could contribute to a better understanding of ASFV pathogenesis and immune/protective responses in the host.

Project description: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 boars were divided in two groups and were infected with ASFV. Group A comprised boars who were CSFV PI in a subclinical form and Group B comprised pestivirus-free wild boars. Some relevant parameters related to CSFV replication and the immune response of CSFV PI animals were studied. Additionally, serum soluble factors such as IFN-α, TNF-α, IL-6, IL-10, IFN-γ and sCD163 were analysed before and after ASFV infection to assess their role in disease progression.After ASFV infection, only the CSFV PI wild boars showed progressive acute haemorrhagic disease; however, the survival rates following ASFV infection was similar in both experimental groups. Notwithstanding, the CSFV RNA load of CSFV PI animals remained unaltered over the study; likewise, the ASFV DNA load detected after infection was similar between groups. Interestingly, systemic type I FN-α and IL-10 levels in sera were almost undetectable in CSFV PI animals, yet detectable in Group B, while detectable levels of IFN-γ were found in both groups. Finally, the flow cytometry analysis showed an increase in myelomonocytic cells (CD172a+) and a decrease in CD4+ T cells in the PBMCs from CSFV PI animals after ASFV infection.Our results showed that the immune response plays a role in the progression of disease in CSFV subclinically infected wild boars after ASFV infection, and the immune response comprised the systemic type I interferon blockade. ASFV does not produce any interference with CSFV replication, or vice versa. ASFV infection could be a trigger factor for the disease progression in CSFV PI animals, as their survival after ASFV was similar to that of the pestivirus-free ASFV-infected group. This fact suggests a high resistance in CSFV PI animals even against a virus like ASFV; this may mean that there are relevant implications for CSF control in endemic countries. The diagnosis of ASFV and CSFV co-infection in endemic countries cannot be ruled out and need to be studied in greater depth.

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Viral Co-Infections of Warthogs in Namibia with African Swine Fever Virus and Porcine Parvovirus 1.

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