Skip to main content
ARS Home » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #354536
Research Project: Countermeasures to Control and Eradicate Foreign Animal Diseases of Swine

Location: Location not imported yet.

Title: ICTV Virus taxonomy profile: Asfarviridae

Author
item ALONSO, COVADONGA - Instituto Nacional De Investigacion Y Technologia Agraria Y Alimentaria
item Borca, Manuel
item DIXON, LINDA - The Pirbright Institute
item REVILLA, YOLANDA - University Of Madrid
item RODRIGUEZ, FERNANDO - Institute De Recerca I Tecnologia Agroalimentaries (IRTA)
item ESCRIBANO, JOSE - Instituto Nacional De Investigacion Y Technologia Agraria Y Alimentaria

Submitted to: Journal of General Virology
Publication Type: Review Article
Publication Acceptance Date: 3/12/2018
Publication Date: 5/1/2018
Citation: Alonso, C., Borca, M.V., Dixon, L., Revilla, Y., Rodriguez, F., Escribano, J.M. 2018. ICTV Virus taxonomy profile: Asfarviridae. Journal of General Virology. 99:613-614. https://doi.org/10.1099/jgv.0.001049.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1099/jgv.0.001049

Interpretive Summary: This report focus in the description of the characteristics of African swine fever virus (ASFV) that possibilities it classification as the only member of the Asfviridae family. This is the product of discussions among the experts at the International Committee on Taxonomy of Viruses (ICTV). Data presented here determine the bases for defining ASFV as a unique virus that because its peculiar characteristics cannot be classified within any preexisting virus family.

Technical Abstract: The family Asfarviridae includes the single species African swine fever virus, isolates of which have linear dsDNA genomes of 170-194 kbp. Virons have an internal core, an internal lipid membrane, an icosahedral capsid and an outer lipid envelope. Infection of domestic pigs and wild boar results in an acute haemorrgagic fever with transmission by contact or ingestion, or by ticks of the genus Ornithodoros. Indigenous pigs act as reservoirs in Africa, where infection is endemic, and from where introductions occur periodically to Europe. This is a summary of the International Committee on Taxonomy of Viruses (ICTV) Report on the taxonomy of the Asfarviridae, which is available at www.ictv.global/report/asfarviridae.