Spain’s Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food has launched an investigation into the origin of its African swine fever outbreak, after receiving a laboratory report that suggests the virus may not have come from animals or animal products from any European Union country where the disease is currently present.
The report, presented by the Animal Health Research Centre in Madrid, includes the molecular characterization of the virus, which is done by sequencing the genome and comparing it with the different ASF viruses found throughout the EU. All viruses currently circulating in the member states belong to genetic groups 2 through 28, not to the new genetic group 29, which is responsible for the current outbreak in Barcelona. According to the scientists, 29 is similar to genetic group 1 that circulated in Georgia in 2007.
A reference virus, the “Georgia 2007” strain is frequently used in experimental infections in confinement facilities to conduct research or to evaluate the effectiveness of vaccines.
Under natural conditions viruses often undergo changes in their genome to varying degrees when they spread through infection cycles in animals. Since Spain’s virus is similar to the one in Georgia, Agriculture Minister Luis Planas said authorities cannot rule out the possibility the virus came from a biological containment facility.
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