Resource

Guide: African swine fever diagnostic tests for field application

Header

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.

Additional Resources

Resource Site

African swine fever - Asia & the Pacific

Read more
Resource Site

African swine fever - Global

Read more
Resource Site

African swine fever campaign

Read more

Photo (Banner): Ken Inui