BioStone Animal Health Launches African Swine Fever Virus (ASF) I177L Antibody Test Kit

DALLAS-FORT WORTH, TX — April 12, 2024—BioStone Animal Health is pleased to announce the launch of the AsurDx^TM African Swine Fever (ASF) I177L Antibody Test Kit designed for the detection of of pig antibodies specific to African Swine Fever virus protein expressed from I177L gene. African swine fever (ASF) is a severe viral disease affecting domestic and wild pigs. This transboundary animal disease can be spread by live or dead pigs, domestic or wild, and pork products; furthermore, transmission can also occur via contaminated feed and fomites (non-living objects) such as shoes, clothes, vehicles, knives, equipment etc., due to the high environmental resistance of ASF virus. Historically, outbreaks have been reported in Africa and parts of Europe, South America, and the Caribbean. More recently (since 2007) the disease has been reported in multiple countries across Africa, Asia and Europe, in both domestic and wild pigs.

African swine fever virus is a large DNA virus of the Asfarviridae family, which also infects ticks of the genus Ornithodoros. Although signs of ASF and classical swine fever (CSF) may be similar, the ASF virus is unrelated to the CSF virus. Acute forms of ASF are characterized by high fever, depression, anorexia and loss of appetite, hemorrhages in the skin, abortion in pregnant sows, cyanosis, vomiting, diarrhea and death within 6-13 days (or up to 20 days). Subacute and chronic forms are caused by moderately or low virulent viruses, which produce less intense clinical signs that can be expressed for much longer periods. Chronic disease symptoms include loss of weight, intermittent fever, respiratory signs, chronic skin ulcers and arthritis.

ASF may be suspected based on clinical signs but confirmation must be made with laboratory tests, particularly to differentiate it from CSF. Recently, USDA has successfully developed a recombinant vaccine candidate, ASFVG-ΔI177L, by deleting the I177L gene from the genome of the highly virulent ASFV strain Georgia (ASFV-G). ASFV-G-ΔI177L has been proven safe and highly efficacious in challenge studies using parental ASFV-G. The AsurDx^TM African Swine Fever (ASF) I177L Antibody Test Kit detects ASF I177L antibodies in pig serum/plasma, which can be potentially used as DIVA (Differentiating Infected from Vaccinated Animals) Assay.  The AsurDx^TM African Swine Fever (ASF) Antibody Test Kit provides a simple, rapid, sensitive, and cost-effective enzyme-based immunoassay (ELISA) screening method.

About BioStone Animal Health — BioStone Animal Health is a Dallas, TX-based biotechnology company that provides innovative solutions for animal health. BioStone Animal Health works together with our worldwide partners to offer a portfolio of animal disease diagnostic products as well as test kits and reagents for vaccine testing that enables performing a rapid evaluation of the efficacies, stability, consistency, and potency of common animal vaccines. By making these test kits available to the international community, BioStone strives to actively promote and participate in global animal health initiatives. For more information about BioStone Animal Health, visit www.biostoneah.com