Retrospective analysis reveals the 2021 outbreaks of African swine fever virus in Ghana were caused by two distinct genotypes

Authors: RAI, AYUSHI - Oak Ridge Institute For Science And Education (ORISE); Spinard Iii, Edward; OSEI-BONSU, JEHADI - Accra Veterinary Laboratory; MEYERS, AMANDA - Oak Ridge Institute For Science And Education (ORISE); Dinhobl, Mark; O'DONNELL, VIVIAN - Animal And Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS); ABABIO, PATRICK - Accra Veterinary Laboratory; TAWIAH-YINGAR, DANIEL - Accra Veterinary Laboratory; BAAH, DANIEL - Accra Veterinary Laboratory; Ramirez Medina, Elizabeth; Espinoza, Nallely; VALLADARES, ALYSSA - Oak Ridge Institute For Science And Education (ORISE); FABURAY, BONTO - Animal And Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS); AMBAGALA, ARUNA - Canadian Food Inspection Agency; ODOOM, THEOPHILUS - Accra Veterinary Laboratory; Borca, Manuel; Gladue, Douglas

Submitted to: Microbiology Resource Announcements
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 7/24/2024
Publication Date: 8/7/2024
Citation: Rai, A., Spinard Iii, E.J., Osei-Bonsu, J., Meyers, A., Dinhobl, M.W., O'Donnell, V., Ababio, P.T., Tawiah-Yingar, D., Baah, D., Ramirez Medina, E., Espinoza, N.N., Valladares, A., Faburay, B., Ambagala, A., Odoom, T., Borca, M.V., Gladue, D.P. 2024. Retrospective analysis reveals the 2021 outbreaks of African swine fever virus in Ghana were caused by two distinct genotypes. Microbiology Resource Announcements. 16(8). Article 1256. https://doi.org/10.3390/v16081265.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.3390/v16081265

Interpretive Summary: This report examines the African swine fever outbreaks that occurred in 2021 in Ghana. During this time there were outbreaks of two distinct viruses, this is the first time the outbreaks in 2021 have been characterized. This is important work as understanding the landscape of ASFV outbreaks, helps us to understand the potential requirements for critical countermeasures for controlling ASFV in Africa.

Technical Abstract: African swine fever virus (ASFV) is the causative agent of, African swine fever (ASF), a highly infectious and lethal disease of domesticated swine. Outbreaks of ASF have been mostly restricted to the continent of Africa; the outbreaks that have occurred outside of Africa were controlled by extensive culling. However, in 2007 an outbreak occurred in the country of Georgia where ASF quickly spread across eastern Europe. Since the reintroduction of ASF into Europe, variants of the current pandemic strain, ASFV Georgia 2007/01 (ASFV-G), which is classified as Genotype 2 based on p72 sequencing, have been reported in countries within western Europe, Asia, and the island of Hispaniola. Additionally, isolates collected in 2020 confirmed the presence of variants of ASFV-G in Nigeria. Recently, we reported similar variants of ASFV-G collected from domestic pigs suspected of dying of ASF in Ghana 2022. Here, we retroactively report based on full length sequencing, similar variants were present in Ghana 2021. SNP analysis revealed derivatives of ASFV with distinct genetic markers. Furthermore, we identified three full length ASFV genomes were classified as Genotype 1 indicating that there were two genotypes circulating in proximity during the 2021 ASF outbreaks in Ghana.