UNCLASSIFIED

UNCLASSIFIED

AM-3/The epidemiological status of African swine fever in domestic swine herds in the Tavush Marz region, Republic of Armenia

Dr. Tigran MarkosyanScientific Centre for Risk Assessment and Analysis in Food Safety Area, SNCO, Republic of ArmeniaCBEP Science Review 2017

UNCLASSIFIED

UNCLASSIFIED

Introduction

• Institutions• Scientific Centre for Risk Assessment and Analysis in

Food Safety Area, SNCO, Republic of Armenia• Ministry of Agriculture, Republic of Armenia (Primary)• Veterinary Services Center, Republic of Armenia• Fundamental Computational and Sciences Division,

Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, USA• Department of Pathobiology and Veterinary Science,

College of Agriculture, Health and Natural Resources, University of Connecticut, USA

• Timeline • April 2014 – June 2015

2

UNCLASSIFIED

UNCLASSIFIED

Is ASFV self-sustaining in Armenia?

3

UNCLASSIFIED

UNCLASSIFIED

Objectives• Establish the baseline prevalence of ASF using

risk-based surveillance in populations of domestic swine and ticks using detailed training programs implemented in conjunction with United States (US) collaborators.

• Determine the presence of ASFV in ticks collected from domestic pigs and areas where pigs reside.

• Facilitate disease prevention by representing disease and vector surveillance data in a spatial manner utilizing geographic information systems (GIS) techniques that will be shared with coordinating agencies.

4

UNCLASSIFIED

UNCLASSIFIED

Locations

5

• ASF outbreaks in 2007-2008 in Tavush (2700 km2) and Lori (both in blue circle)

• Red dots indicate ASF spread to other marzes after 2009 outbreak

• Heavily forested• Main terrestrial

point of entry for foreign traffic

• Pigs (~15K) pannage; soft-bodied ticks are present

UNCLASSIFIED

UNCLASSIFIED

Methods

6

Project initiatesUS Collaborators Participant training

Field ActivitiesMOA, SNCO

Sample Collection

Transport to Laboratory

Laboratory ActivitiesRAC, SNCO

Sample Identification

Real Time PCR ELISA

Data ProcessingMOA, RAC GIS mapping

Project CloseoutAll Instituties

Data analysis and Entry

Finish Project Activities Final Report & Manuscript Development

*Example of organization by project activity

UNCLASSIFIED

UNCLASSIFIED

Highlighted Scientific Data, Results, Accomplishments

• All samples (4668) tested were negative for ASF/ ASFV

• ASFV carriage prevalence is less than 1% among domestic pigs in Tavush (considering 95% CI with 2.5% precision and test sensitivity and specificity at 90% and 80% respectively)

• Role of wild pigs and indigenous ticks in ASF transmission in Tavush has yet to be determined; Ornithodorus ticks were not found in selected areas.

7

UNCLASSIFIED

UNCLASSIFIED

Non-Scientific Results & Accomplishments

• Six RAC scientists trained by RT and classical PCR and ELISA antibody/antigen detection for ASFV.

• The new immunoperoxidase test was implemented for ASF antibody detection.

• Two rooms in RAC were renovated and appropriate equipment provided for the performing of PCR and ELISA techniques.

8

UNCLASSIFIED

UNCLASSIFIED

AM-3 Training sessions

9

UNCLASSIFIED

UNCLASSIFIED

Next Steps

• The role of wild pigs and indigenous ticks in ASF in this region has yet to be determined.

• The similar investigation among wild boars to evaluate the ASF epidemiological status.

• Collect more tick samples; researchers from other regions help to identify presence or absence of Ornithodorus ticks in country.

10

UNCLASSIFIED

UNCLASSIFIEDPublications & Presentations

• Publications• “The epidemiological status of African swine

fever in domestic swine herds in the Tavush Marz region, Republic of Armenia” T. Markosyan, K. Sargsyan, S. Kharatyan, H. Elbakyan, V. Hakobyan, L. Simonyan, H. Voskanyan, A. Shirvanyan, T.Stepanyan, M. Khachatryan, M. Karapetyan, A. Avagyan, R. Weller, J. Keen and G. Risatti. – In the process of publication

• Presentations• Oral presentation - CRWAD conference, Chicago IL,

USA 2015

11