Sequencing has shown that none of the strains the centre works with match the one that has infected the wild boars in Collserola.

In the coming weeks, IRTA-CReSA will begin a study on the degree of virulence, behaviour and transmissibility of the virus causing the outbreak.

The centre also plans to organise a meeting this year with leading international experts on this disease.

To date, the centre has analysed more than a thousand wild boar samples, of which 155 have tested positive.

Further information can be found in the press dossier ‘Outbreak of African swine fever in Catalonia: the IRTA-CReSA perspective’. This publication provides an overview of the history of IRTA-CReSA and its experience in researching African swine fever, as well as a timeline of events related to this situation:

The outbreak of African swine fever (ASF) detected in Collserola at the end of November did not originate at the Animal Health Research Centre of the Institute for Agrifood Research and Technology (IRTA-CReSA).

Scientific evidence confirms this: genetic sequencing of the pathogen that infected the animals found dead in the wild has been compared with the DNA of the strains used in the IRTA-CReSA biosecurity facilities, and they do not match in any case.

This is explained in the official report on the outbreak, released on 9 February by the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food.

This report confirms the results announced on 30 December by the Department of Agriculture, Livestock, Fisheries and Food of the Regional Government of Catalonia, following sequencing carried out in parallel by the Institute for Research in Biomedicine (IRB).

‘We are pleased that this hypothesis has been ruled out and we continue to work to help contain the outbreak and contribute scientific knowledge to the management of this crisis,’ says IRTA Director General Josep Usall.

Usall considers that the findings of this document and those of all the audits carried out by the various investigative committees ‘reaffirm the high level of biosecurity and working capacity of our centre’.

He also highlights ‘the integrity, commitment and excellence of the more than 150 professionals who work at IRTA-CReSA’ and thanks them for ‘their impeccable work during what have been difficult weeks for our organisation’.

Usall also thanks the Generalitat, European institutions, agri-food sector organisations, audit committee members and all the experts who have expressed their confidence in IRTA-CReSA for their support.

Maximum collaboration and work that has not stopped

From the outset, IRTA-CReSA has been at the disposal of the competent authorities to help control the outbreak and provide all the information required for the ongoing investigations.

The centre’s professionals have worked intensively on collecting and analysing samples and detecting positive cases.

Specifically, as of this week, IRTA-CReSA has analysed more than a thousand samples, of which 155 have tested positive for ASF, and eighteen tonnes of meat related to the outbreak have been incinerated, the same amount that is usually incinerated in nine months.

In addition, IRTA-CReSA professionals work on analysing and processing data, which is shared daily with the Department of Agriculture. IRTA-CReSA’s Epidemiology and Risk Analysis Unit integrates all available data from different sources to provide insight into the evolution of the outbreak, simulate possible future scenarios and evaluate which actions have been effective in the field.

All this work directly involves around forty professionals. ‘These are very high levels of activity, which we have had to combine with the usual activity of our centre, where we work on a dozen lines of research and innovation,’ summarises Natàlia Majó, head of the IRTA-CReSA Animal Health programme and professor at the Autonomous University of Barcelona (UAB).

A study to learn more about the new virus

The available data indicate that the outbreak began between September and October, not later.

As for its origin, everything points to the fact that investigations should refocus on the introduction of contaminated food into the country.

At the same time, further research will be necessary to find genetic ancestors that will enable a link to be established between the new virus (from genetic group 29) and others previously reported.

“If the sequencing results had shown that the strain causing the outbreak was very similar to another strain from anywhere else in the world, we could speculate that it came from that geographical area; but, as this is not the case, it is very difficult to know. There are currently areas of the world where there are outbreaks of ASF, but it is not known which genetic group they belong to,” notes Joaquim Segalés, head of the Endemic Swine Viruses research line of the IRTA-CReSA Animal Health programme and professor at the UAB.

‘In order to make predictions about the behaviour and evolution of the virus, it is important to learn even more about it and conduct research based on all the data and samples we already have,’ adds Segalés.

For this reason, IRTA-CReSA will promote a study in the coming months on the degree of virulence, behaviour and transmissibility of the new ASF virus.

The centre also plans to organise a meeting this year with internationally renowned ASF experts.

A distinguished track record spanning more than two decades 

IRTA-CReSA’s line of research into ASF forms part of the Animal Health programme and is internationally recognised.

In fact, IRTA-CReSA is one of the European centres with the longest scientific track record in ASF. It offers support and advice in health emergencies and conducts research into ASF virology and immunology through national and European research projects. It also works on vaccine development.

Since 2017, IRTA-CReSA has been a collaborating centre of the World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE) for the research and control of emerging and re-emerging swine diseases in Europe, led by researcher Joaquim Segalés. Both Segalés and IRTA-CReSA researchers Francesc Accensi, Carles Vilalta and Jordi Argilaguet are leading specialists in the field of ASF.

A key centre for global health in Catalonia

IRTA-CReSA is currently a key player in global health and animal health in Catalonia. In fact, the growing need for research in this field has led to a project to expand the centre, with construction work having just begun.

‘With the expansion of the building, IRTA-CReSA, from the UAB campus, will be reinforced as a strategic biosafety infrastructure in Catalonia,’ concluded Usall.

L'entrada IRTA-CReSA welcomes the confirmation that the centre was not the source of the African swine fever outbreak ha aparegut primer a IRTA.

The Generalitat has today submitted to the Ministry the results of the complete genomic analysis of African swine fever (ASF)

Current data do not allow confirmation that the ASF viral strain originated from any laboratory, according to the sequencing carried out by the Institute for Biomedical Research (IRB), pending the results from the reference laboratories

The virus detected in wild boar shows its own genetic fingerprint, with mutations and a large deletion that place it as a new or previously undocumented variant

The Government of the Generalitat has today forwarded to the Ministry of Agriculture the results of the complete genomic analysis of the African swine fever (ASF) virus recently detected in wild boar in Cerdanyola del Vallès, as well as of the strains handled at IRTA-CReSA.

Pending the results from the reference laboratory in Madrid, the sequencing of the strains used at IRTA-CReSA, carried out at the Institute for Biomedical Research (IRB), does not match the strain detected in the wild boar.

This is the conclusion of the sequencing study led by ICREA research professor Toni Gabaldón at the IRB, developed by his Comparative Genomics group. Dr. Gabaldón is a recognized expert in phylogeny and comparative genomics.

None of the laboratory viral strains match the outbreak strain

The study analyzed the 17 ASF virus strains that have been used recently at IRTA-CReSA. The results are conclusive: none of these strains genetically match the strain responsible for the current outbreak.

The observed differences are too significant to establish any direct relationship. The virus detected in Cerdanyola del Vallès presents dozens of specific mutations and a large genomic deletion that do not appear in any of the laboratory strains analyzed.

This set of differences does not allow confirmation that the outbreak originated from these samples. The Ministry’s and Europe’s reference laboratories will need to confirm the results.

A new or previously undocumented genetic variant

The complete genome sequencing of the outbreak virus indicates that it is an ASF genotype II strain, with general features similar to viruses detected previously, but with substantial genetic changes not previously described.

This distinctive “genetic fingerprint” includes:

• A large loss of a fragment of the genome (deletion).
• A set of exclusive mutations that do not match the strains currently circulating in Western Europe.

This genetic pattern shows greater similarity to some isolated cases described in Eastern Europe and Asia, such as Russia, China, or Thailand, and indicates that we are dealing with a new or previously undocumented variant.

Results in line with the Audit Committee report

Although there are other historical strains that are still being sequenced at the IRB, these have not been used recently and present genetic characteristics much more similar to previously detected viruses than to the current outbreak strain.

Therefore, the results are aligned with the Audit Committee’s report, which indicated that no incident had been detected in laboratory biocontainment measures that could justify suspicion of an accidental escape.

Context of the detection and importance of sequencing

The outbreak was detected at an early stage thanks to the continuous animal health surveillance programs for livestock and wildlife that IRTA-CReSA has been carrying out in Catalonia since 2018. All wild boar found dead are systematically tested to rule out the presence of the ASF virus, even when there is no prior suspicion.

Complete genomic sequencing is a key tool because it provides a true “fingerprint” of the virus, allows comparison with other known viral strains, and makes it possible to rule out or confirm possible routes of origin with a high degree of scientific reliability.

Hypotheses on the origin of the outbreak

African swine fever is not transmitted through the air and requires direct contact or continuous exposure to contaminated material. In line with international experience, the most plausible hypothesis is the introduction of the virus through contaminated material, especially pork products, a route that has already been identified as likely in outbreaks detected previously in other European countries.

The Government, coordinated to contain the outbreak

The Government continues working to contain the African swine fever outbreak within the 6-kilometer radius, with more than 400 personnel deployed on the ground, including the Order Group, the Rural Agents Corps, and the Military Emergency Unit (UME).

To date, 533 wild boar have been analyzed, of which 29 are positive within the 6-kilometer radius, confirmed by the Ministry’s reference laboratory.

The Government continues to hold regular meetings with the sector and with the group of experts, as well as with the mayors of the municipalities within the radius, with the aim of working in a coordinated manner to keep the outbreak under control.

L'entrada ASF outbreak: Pending the results from the reference laboratory, sequencing by the Institute for Biomedical Research does not match the strain detected in wild boar ha aparegut primer a IRTA.

Representation of the Scientific Committee on contagious nodular dermatosis in Catalonia

Through our IRTA-CReSA center (Centre for Research in Animal Health), we have activated a scientific committee to strengthen surveillance and research on contagious nodular dermatosis (DNC), following the confirmation of two positive cases in the province of Girona. The function of this committee is to advise, recommend and support the Departament d’Agricultura, Ramaderia, Pesca i Alimentació at the scientific level in the episode of DNC. The aim is to contribute to the control and containment of this viral disease affecting cattle.

DNC is a disease caused by a capripoxvirus, similar to sheeppox and caprine viruses, which exclusively affects cattle and buffalo. It is transmitted mainly by insect bites and causes nodular skin lesions, fever and decreased milk and meat production. However, it poses no risk to human health, either by contact with infected animals or by consuming meat, milk or derivatives.

Scientific research and rapid response

The IRTA-CReSA teams have moved to the territory to collect samples of the detected foci in order to carry out the isolation and sequencing of the virus. This analysis will allow to determine its origin and improve epidemiological surveillance strategies.

As Enric Vidal, researcher of the IRTA-CReSA Animal Health program, points out: “the important thing is to be able to isolate the strain of this virus and try to determine its sequence, its genome, to be able to compare it with that of other outbreaks in other areas and to be able to discover how it has been the transmission to Catalonia,” explained the researcher. 

In parallel, a scientific committee on contagious nodular dermatosis has been created, at the request of the DARPA, which is formed by researchers and technicians from IRTA-CReSA and the UAB specialized in pathological anatomy and veterinary epidemiology. Its members include Mariano Domingo, Natàlia Majó, Enric Vidal, Cristina Lorca, Carles Vilalta, Alberto Allepuz, Lola Pailler and Francisco Domenes. In addition, the committee has the specific support of expert researchers from France and Italy, the countries where cases of CND had already been detected, so that they can share their experience in the disease, and is open to other collaborations whenever necessary.

This committee has the function of advising, recommending and providing technical and scientific support to the Department in everything related to the management of the DNC. He is currently working in two main areas. The first is the collection and analysis of samples and the genetic characterisation of the virus. 

The second is the evaluation of the vaccination plan proposed by the DARPA in order to reach its criteria. Mass vaccination of livestock will be key to containing the spread of the disease.

“The appearance of the DNC in Catalonia reminds us of the importance of having prepared research and an active surveillance network. Scientific knowledge is essential to protect animal health and the sustainability of farms”, says Vidal. 

IRTA highlights the importance of combining scientific research, health surveillance and cooperation with the livestock sector to ensure a rapid and effective response to emerging diseases.

L'entrada IRTA-CReSA coordinates the new Scientific Committee on contagious nodular dermatosis (DNC) in Catalonia ha aparegut primer a IRTA.