CSFV diagnostics and pathogenesis

Background (shortly).
This project is a central project in the coordination of several CSFV projects, it is conduced in close collaboration with the project “Early immunopathogenesis of classical swine fever infections” and the materials obtained from the experimental infections are shared among these two projects. We have data from several experimental infections which are in the process of publication. The project provides co-funding for external projects and furthermore a considerable amount of hours has been used for writing applications for different purposes. In 2007 an FTP post doc position for Thomas Bruun Rasmussen on chimeric vaccines towards CSFV was funded. Another application written in cooperation with “Early Immuno-pathogenesis..” on “Styrkelse af det videnmæssige beredskab for klassisk svinepest” was funded. Both these projects are active in 2008 and therefore the budget of the present project is reduced accordingly and some of the milestones intended for this project may be fulfilled in other projects.


7. Purpose and relevance
Classical swine fever is a devastating disease, which will ruin the Danish pig production if the disease spread in Denmark. The fast, sensitive and specific diagnosis of this disease is crucial for the ability to assure that CSFV will not be introduced through imported animals and in case the unhappy event should happen the laboratory procedures must be implemented, validated and able to be scaled up to thousands of samples. By performing experimental infections we gain experience in the clinical signs of CSFV, we teach the practitioners employed by the veterinary authorities in the diagnosis, sample submission and the easy understanding of the laboratory procedures during a suspicion. The work is aiming at improved ability to detect CSFV and we collaborate with the EU and OIE authorities to improve the directives in a way that is optimal for the typical Danish situation. As an example the use of vaccination has now become an option in EU, generally Denmark has a strict non-vaccination policy but as vaccination may end up as a requirement, not an option we now focus on DIVA vaccines which will allow the animals to be used for consumption even though they are vaccinated. Our aim is to assure that the safety and efficacy aspects of these vaccines will reach a level that 3rd world countries may accept to import animal products from vaccinated pigs.