Anastasia Glazunova

Avian influenza viruses (AIV) cause severe economic losses in poultry production and pose zoonotic threats, necessitating rapid, field-deployable diagnostics. While real-time PCR is the gold standard, its use is limited in resource-constrained settings. This study aimed to develop and validate optimized loop-mediated isothermal amplification (LAMP) protocols for AIV detection directly at sample collection sites. We optimized Real-Time RT-LAMP and colorimetric LAMP assays targeting the conserved M gene, using primers described in the literature. Analytical sensitivity was assessed with a plasmid standard (10⁶–10⁰ copies/μL); specificity was evaluated against 27 AIV strains (H1–H12) and heterologous avian viruses (Newcastle disease, infectious bronchitis, Gumboro, and laryngotracheitis viruses). Reverse transcription was integrated into the LAMP reaction. Real-Time LAMP with SYBR Green achieved 100% analytical sensitivity (95% CI: 80–100; detection limit: Ct = 38), while colorimetric LAMP (cresol red, malachite green, calcein) detected 10² plasmid copies (Ct = 32) with 91.67% sensitivity (95% CI: 76.1–100). No cross-reactivity occurred. These optimized LAMP protocols offer sensitivity and specificity comparable to PCR, require minimal equipment, and enable rapid AIV screening, significantly enhancing early detection and epidemiological surveillance in field conditions.

African swine fever (ASF) continues to threaten the global pig industry, primarily due to the absence of effective treatments and vaccines, complicating disease management. Control measures depend on strict quarantine protocols, including culling infected animals and reducing wild boar populations. Effective ASF management in the wild involves controlling these populations, adhering to biosafety standards while hunting, identifying and safely disposing of boar carcasses, and isolating affected areas. Hunters are crucial for early ASF detection through both passive and active surveillance, influenced by their motivation and adherence to safety protocols. A pilot survey among hunters in an ASF-affected Russian region assessed attitudes toward control measures. The results showed skepticism about the effectiveness of individual hunting bans and additional feeding sites, although measures preventing wild boar-domestic pig contact and banning wild boar meat harvesting in affected areas were favored. The survey results also revealed shortcomings in hunters’ compliance with biosafety measures, such as disinfection methods, proper disposal of carcasses after butchering and lack of interaction with state veterinary services. Evaluating hunters’ perspectives and active involvement in control efforts are crucial for effective ASF management. Hunter surveys serve as valuable tools for gathering information and should be utilized globally to enhance ASF control and hunting season biosecurity.

Avian influenza (AI) is a global problem impacting birds and mammals, causing economic losses in commercial poultry farms and backyard settings. In 2022, over 8,500 AI cases were reported worldwide, with the H5 subtype being responsible for many outbreaks in wild and domestic birds. In the territory of the Russian Federation, outbreaks of AI have been massively reported since 2020, both among domestic bird species and wild bird species. Wild migratory birds often serve as natural reservoirs for AI viruses, and interactions between bird species can lead to the emergence of new, highly pathogenic variants through genetic recombination between strains. In order to combat the widespread outbreaks of the disease and potential risks of further spread in 2021, monitoring studies were conducted in the Samara Oblast, the southeastern region of European Russian Federation. These studies aimed to diagnose and characterize circulating AI virus variants among wild migratory birds during waterfowl hunting in areas of mass nesting. Among the 98 shot birds, a highly pathogenic A/H5N1 AI virus was detected in a Eurasian Teal from the Bolshechernigovsky district. It was classified into clade 2.3.4.4 based on the cleavage site structure of HA. Phylogenetic analysis showed a high relatedness of the identified strain in the Samara Oblast with field isolates from Russia, Nigeria, Bangladesh, and Benin. The article emphasizes the importance of monitoring AI virus spread in both wild and poultry, highlighting the need for timely information exchange to assess risks. Further comprehensive studies are necessary to understand virus dissemination pathways.

African Swine fever (ASF) remains a serious economic threat to pig production around the world, affecting only animals of the Suidae family. The lack of effective treatment and vaccines makes the control of the disease particularly difficult and expensive. Only implementation of strict quarantine measures and a properly chosen eradication strategy remain the only methods to control the disease. ASF also circulates in the wildlife for a long time, persisting in the wild boar carcasses and spreading with infected animals to the new territories. Under natural conditions, the virus spreads slowly with the wild boars, but the intervention of hunters and the extraction of potentially infected meat can significantly accelerate the process. Particular emphasis is placed on the role of dead wild boars killed by ASF and the migration of susceptible wild animals. They are considered as the main source and factor in the maintenance of the ASF virus in the wild. In connection with this problem, the question of the role of hunting in the spread of ASF remains relevant. In order to reveal this issue, the article discusses the behavior of wild susceptible animals, hunting features worldwide, and the impact of hunting on the social behavior of wild boars, the role of hunting and hunters both in the containment and in the spread of ASF. The main attention of the article is focused on the importance of the cohesive work of each stakeholder group in the elimination of ASF. The choice of a strategy to control ASF in the wild and the long term support of joint efforts to implement it is the key to restoring the well-being of the area and preventing the introduction of the virus into farms and households.

The article provides information on the ASF epizootic, and control measures taken. The most likely reason for the introduction of the disease, considering the distance from the nearest foci of the disease, is the anthropogenic factor. The unregulated growth of the wild boar population against the background of poorly controlled movement of pig products from affected areas leads to an increased risk of the virus introduction into the population of the wild susceptible animals. The control strategy adopted by the competent authorities of Italy includes a zonal principle for the selection and implementation of a set of measures. The main control approaches are depopulation of pigs in the unprotected pig sector (PSF), restriction of wild boar migration with the help of fences, as well as active search and removal of carcasses of wild boars, followed by local depopulation of wild boar in the infected zone, reduction of its density in the threatened zone along with measures aimed at early detection of the disease, and enhanced biosecurity measures.