Test runs (literally) 🧪

Research conducted in Vietnam by the Swine Health Information Center (SHIC) has completed an evaluation of three types of tests for African swine fever (ASF) virus detection: a pen-side PCR test and two lateral flow tests – all of which used whole blood and oral swabs.

• The pen-side PCR test was actually pretty good: it detected ASF in infected pigs within three days after infection and ten days after that. The possibility for false positives and negatives was also analyzed and the results are promising.
• The lateral flow tests had good specificity but poor sensitivity – they were slower to detect ASF and didn’t test positive for as long.