FSBI "ARRIAH" has developed methodological recommendations for studying the clustering of ASF outbreaks

The data obtained made it possible to identify up to 24 genetic groups within a given genotype based on various genomic markers and formed the basis for the development of guidelines for molecular epidemiological clustering of ASF virus isolates using the subgenotyping method.

Published data identify six main and seven additional genetic markers of variability, which are recommended for characterizing isolates of genotype II virus, the founder of the modern ASF epizootic.

The developed PCR protocol with electrophoretic detection makes it possible to amplify marker regions of the ASF virus genome for their subsequent sequencing, alignment and molecular epidemiological clustering. The method allows for subgenotyping of isolates and determining a molecular epizootic cluster based on the distribution of genetic groups of specific marker genes.

The methodological recommendations can be used in preparing samples for sequencing, conducting molecular and phylogenetic analyses, geographic clustering and spatiotemporal research regarding the ASF virus in various research laboratories and centers conducting in-depth molecular genetic research.

African swine fever (ASF) is a viral disease of domestic pigs and wild boars, characterized by a hemorrhagic syndrome, moderate contagiousness, high mortality and a variety of forms. One of the most important tools for studying the ASF virus is molecular genetic analysis based on sequencing certain marker regions of the genome. Currently, in the world, based on the analysis of a nucleotide sequence 475 bp long. The C-terminus of the B646L gene, encoding the vp72 capsid protein, distinguishes 24 genotypes of the ASF virus.