Genetic Variations of African Swine Fever Virus: Major Challenges and Prospects

• Published in: Viruses Vol. 16; no. 6; p. 913
• Main Authors: Chen, Shengmei, Wang, Tao, Luo, Rui, Lu, Zhanhao, Lan, Jing, Sun, Yuan, Fu, Qiang, Qiu, Hua-Ji
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Switzerland MDPI AG 01.06.2024; MDPI
• Subjects: Accuracy; African swine fever; African Swine Fever - virology; African swine fever virus; African Swine Fever Virus - genetics; Analysis; Animals; Diagnosis; DNA repair; Evolution & development; Evolution, Molecular; Evolutionary genetics; Genes; Genetic aspects; Genetic diversity; Genetic engineering; Genetic Variation; Genome, Viral; Genomes; Genotype; Hemorrhagic fever; Hogs; Hypotheses; Immune Evasion - genetics; Mutation; mutations; Pathogenicity; Point mutation; Proteins; R&D; recombination; Research & development; Review; Swine; Vaccine Development; Vaccines; Viral diseases; Viral Vaccines - genetics; Viral Vaccines - immunology; Virulence; Viruses; China; Africa; African swine fever virus; mutations; recombination; African swine fever; vaccines
• ISSN: 1999-4915; 1999-4915
• DOI: 10.3390/v16060913

African swine fever (ASF) is a contagious viral disease affecting pigs and wild boars. It typically presents as a hemorrhagic fever but can also manifest in various forms, ranging from acute to asymptomatic. ASF has spread extensively globally, significantly impacting the swine industry. The complex and highly variable character of the ASFV genome makes vaccine development and disease surveillance extremely difficult. The overall trend in ASFV evolution is towards decreased virulence and increased transmissibility. Factors such as gene mutation, viral recombination, and the strain-specificity of virulence-associated genes facilitate viral variations. This review deeply discusses the influence of these factors on viral immune evasion, pathogenicity, and the ensuing complexities encountered in vaccine development, disease detection, and surveillance. The ultimate goal of this review is to thoroughly explore the genetic evolution patterns and variation mechanisms of ASFV, providing a theoretical foundation for advancement in vaccine and diagnostic technologies.