Tokyo (Japan), 18 February 2022 – Laboratory tests are essential for the diagnosis of African swine fever (ASF) and are key to the success of ASF surveillance activities.
Chapter 3.9.1. of the Manual of Diagnostic Tests and Vaccines for Terrestrial Animals (Terrestrial Manual) describes the recognised international standards for ASF diagnosis. However, in certain circumstances, the timely submission, processing and testing of samples using the diagnostic tests described in the Terrestrial Manual are not feasible. The ability to test for ASF at the point of disease allows for rapid response to outbreaks and control of the spread of disease in endemic situations.
Despite not being included in the Register of Diagnostic Kits certified by the World Organisation for Animal Health (WOAH, founded as OIE) as validated as fit for purpose, there are several diagnostic platforms, also known as penside or point-of-need / point-of-care testing (PoC tests), that are available commercially for field testing. These include basic rapid test kits for detecting antigens or antibodies using lateral flow devices that are simple to use, require minimal training and can provide a result within approximately 20 minutes.
To serve as a guide, the WOAH ASF Reference Laboratory Network put together a summary of these PoC test kits for field workers, practitioners, and decision-makers. The guide is available in English, Spanish, Japanese, Chinese (Mandarin), Bahasa Indonesia, Vietnamese, and Thai (see below for all versions).
The ability to test for African swine fever at the point of disease allows for rapid response to outbreaks and control of the spread of disease in endemic situations.
(Japanese / 日本語) OIE アフリカ豚熱(ASF)リファレンスラボラ トリーネットワークによる野外検査のためのASF診断検査法の概説 (26 Apr 2022)
(Chinese / 普通话) 世界动物卫生组织(OIE)非洲猪瘟(ASF)参考实验室网络对非洲猪瘟现场应用诊断检测方法概述 (25 May 2022)
(Thai) WOAH ASF Reference Laboratory Network และภาพรวมการทดสอบเพื่อวินิจฉัยโรคอหิวาต์แอฟริกาในสุกรในพื้นที่จริง (20 Dec 2022)
Photo (Banner): Ken Inui