Approved Horizon Europe Research Innovation Action project ASFaVIP

Institute of Food Safety, Animal Health and Environment “BIOR” takes part in Horizon Europe programme project “Understanding performance characteristics of live attenuated vaccines for the prevention and control of African swine fever in wild boar and domestic pigs” (acronym ASFaVIP), No. 101217300.

The project is being implemented by an international consortium led by the Friedrich Loeffler Institute (FLI) in Germany. The consortium consists of 11 partners representing eight countries (Germany, Belgium, France, Spain, Switzerland, the Netherlands, Latvia, and the United States).

During the project, an international group of scientists is working on the development of a vaccine against African swine fever (ASF).

Project implementation in Latvia: research during the project will be carried out in Latvia by BIOR researchers in collaboration with LVMI “Silava” researchers. Latvia is involved in Work Package 7, “Development and optimization of oral vaccination, taking into account the ecology of wild boars,” which has the following objectives:

• Improve wild boar bait design through controlled bait deployment trials.

• Explore innovative biomarkers for monitoring and evaluation of oral vaccination in wild boar.

• Optimize non-invasive sampling strategies for wild boar ASF vaccination.

• Understand wild boar population dynamics and ASF epidemiology in endemic situations.

Description of WP7

Improved wild boar bait design through controlled bait deployment trials (Lead UCLM; partners: FLI, BIOR, Zoetis, WR)

• Optimise bait placement protocols based on existing knowledge and addressing gaps, such as wild boar herd dynamics in bait consumption (how many herd members consume at least one bait; how much bait is consumed by the most successful herd member), bait specificity and resistance to extreme environmental conditions (humidity, temperature).
• Field studies will be conducted in various regions of Europe – both in ASF-affected and ASF-free regions, as well as in areas with different wild boar densities.

Innovative biomarkers for monitoring and evaluation of oral vaccination in wild boar (Lead UCLM; partners: FLI, BIOR, WR, Zoetis)

• Development of innovative and highly immunogenic synthetic peptides to evaluate antibody response and monitor oral bait consumption.
• Application of selected biomarkers in field conditions, comparing the consumption of different baits, and selection of the most suitable bait versions for trials in ASF restricted areas to avoid public health risks associated with the consumption of wild game meat. This is a challenge in areas with low wild boar density, so alternative experiments in such areas may be considered

Optimized non-invasive sampling strategies for wild boar ASF vaccination (Lead UCLM; partners: Zoetis, FLI, Büro WildVet, WR, BIOR)

• Develop non-invasive sampling methods for PCR analysis to detect ASF virus DNA and biomarkers in saliva.
• Evaluate vaccination effectiveness by detecting antibodies in samples.
• Test various methods (ropes, filter paper in bait, sponges for collecting environmental DNA) in the laboratory and in the external environment.

Assess wild boar ecology and ASF epidemiology in areas with longer-term and endemic situations (Lead: BIOR; partners: WildVet, UCLM, FLI)

• Camera trapping and GPS-collaring will be performed to assess wild boar ecology, population dynamics and ASF epidemiology in an ASF endemic country (Latvia).
• Considering the dynamic ASF situation in Latvia, study areas will be chosen considering different stages in the epidemic wave.
• Understanding the mechanism driving rapid population recovery after an ASF incursion would help to design population management and ASF control.
•  The results will also feed into the modelling approaches.

The project implementation period is from 01/09/2025 to 31/12/2026. BIOR’s planned costs are EUR 302,012.50 (100% EU funding).

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