State Key Laboratory for Animal Disease Control and Prevention, National High Containment Facilities for Animal Diseases Control and Prevention, Harbin Veterinary Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Harbin, People's Republic of China.
Jiangsu Co-innovation Center for Prevention and Control of Important Animal Infectious Diseases and Zoonoses, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou, People's Republic of China.
Nat Commun. 2023 May 29;14(1):3096. doi: 10.1038/s41467-023-38868-w.
African swine fever virus (ASFV) poses a great threat to the global pig industry and food security. Currently, 24 ASFV genotypes have been reported but it is unclear whether recombination of different genotype viruses occurs in nature. In this study, we detect three recombinants of genotype I and II ASFVs in pigs in China. These recombinants are genetically similar and classified as genotype I according to their B646L gene, yet 10 discrete fragments accounting for over 56% of their genomes are derived from genotype II virus. Animal studies with one of the recombinant viruses indicate high lethality and transmissibility in pigs, and deletion of the virulence-related genes MGF_505/360 and EP402R derived from virulent genotype II virus highly attenuates its virulence. The live attenuated vaccine derived from genotype II ASFV is not protective against challenge of the recombinant virus. These naturally occurring recombinants of genotype I and II ASFVs have the potential to pose a challenge to the global pig industry.
非洲猪瘟病毒（ASFV）对全球养猪业和食品安全构成了巨大威胁。目前已报告了 24 种 ASFV 基因型，但尚不清楚自然界中不同基因型病毒是否会发生重组。本研究在中国猪群中检测到三种基因型 I 和 II 的 ASFV 重组病毒。这些重组病毒在遗传上相似，根据其 B646L 基因被归类为基因型 I，但它们的基因组中有 10 个离散片段来自基因型 II 病毒，占比超过 56%。对其中一种重组病毒的动物研究表明，其在猪群中具有高致死性和传染性，而源自强毒基因型 II 病毒的毒力相关基因 MGF_505/360 和 EP402R 的缺失使其毒力显著降低。源自基因型 II ASFV 的活疫苗不能预防该重组病毒的攻毒。这些自然发生的基因型 I 和 II 的 ASFV 重组病毒有可能对全球养猪业构成挑战。
