The emergence of high consequence animal diseases usually requires managing significant mortality. A desirable aspect of any carcass management method is the ability to contain and inactivate the target pathogen. The above‐ground burial (AGB) technique was recently developed and proposed as an alternative carcass management method. Here, we investigate the tenacity of swinepox virus (SwPV), as a surrogate model for African swine fever virus (ASFV) in swine carcasses during the AGB process. For this, SwPV was inoculated intrafemorally in 90 adult swine carcasses, which were subsequently disposed under AGB conditions. Bone marrow samples were recovered periodically throughout 12 months and virus viability was assessed by virus isolation (VI), whereas the presence of SwPV DNA was evaluated by quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR). Additionally, an in vitro study assessed the inactivation rate of SwPV, Senecavirus A (SVA), and bovine viral diarrhoea virus (BVDV). Viral suspensions were mixed with bone marrow material and maintained at 21–23°C for 30 days. Virus viability was assessed by VI and viral titration. In the field study, SwPV remained viable only in 11 (55%) bone marrow samples collected on day 7; only viral DNA (and not infectivity) was detected afterwards. SwPV inactivation was estimated to have occurred by day 11. The in vitro testing revealed a variable tenacity of the studied viruses. The viability period was estimated in 28, 80, and 118 days, respectively, for BVDV, SwPV, and SVA. Overall, these findings indicate that the AGB technique was effective in quickly inactivating SwPV. Additionally, the SwPV inactivation rate is comparable to ASFV under field studies and poses a potential model for preliminary ASFV inactivation studies with reduced biosecurity requirements. Moreover, this study contributes to understanding the inactivation kinetics of viruses under specific conditions, which is critical when designing and applying countermeasures in case of biosecurity breaches in sites managing animal mortality.
An avian influenza outbreak in 2002 affected 197 poultry farms in Virginia and cost an estimated $130 million in losses and cleanup. In 2004-2005, researchers initiated a project to investigate the feasibility and practicality of in-house composting of turkey mortalities (heavy hens and toms) as a method of disposal and disease containment. Occurrences of low pathogenic avian influenza (LPAI) in West Virginia and Virginia in 2007 provided an opportunity for first responders to verify composting as an effective carcass disposal method. Many lessons learned from these experiences have led to improvements in the application of this technology. Market-weight turkeys, once thought too large for effective composting, were composted sufficiently for land application within 4 to 6 weeks. Additionally, fire-fighting foam, a new method of mass depopulation, proved to be compatible with composting. Knowledge gained from these incidents will be valuable not only for future responses to LPAI but also for outbreaks of highly pathogenic avian influenza such as the H5N1 virus, which currently causes disease in both animals and humans in many parts of the world. Since three-quarters of all recent emerging infectious diseases (EIDs) have arisen from animals, control of disease in animals is the principal way to reduce human exposure and prevent EIDs. Many of the general approaches and specific techniques used to eradicate the avian influenza virus can also be used to control other EIDs such as H1N1, Nipah virus, Rift Valley Fever, and plague.
Background and Aim: Environmental impacts from carcass management are a significant concern globally. Despite a history of costly, ineffective, and environmentally damaging carcass disposal efforts, large animal carcass disposal methods have advanced little in the past decade. An outbreak today will likely be managed with the same carcass disposal techniques used in the previous decades and will likely result in the same economic, health, and environmental impacts. This article overviews the results of one field test that was completed in Virginia (United States) using the aboveground burial (AGB) technique and the disposal of 111 foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) infected sheep in Tunisia using a similar methodology.
African swine fever (ASF) has been considered as one of the most important and devastating swine diseases with high mortality rates. Since effective vaccines and treatment are not available, mass euthanasia of infected and exposed pigs has been known to be the best measure to control ASF. Although composting has been proved to be a safe method for the rapid disposal of animal carcasses during outbreaks, there is no information about the effect of composting on the viability of ASF virus in swine carcasses.This study investigates the survival of the ASF virus in swine carcasses during composting. The findings suggested that the DNA of the ASF virus was detected in all samples tested. On the contrary, infectious ASF virus particles were rapidly destroyed at day 3.
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