A Point-of-Need Test for Transboundary Diseases of Pigs

Pork accounts for over one-third of global meat consumption, with the United States being the second-largest producer. Preventing transboundary pathogens from entering the U.S. is vital to protecting the swine industry. Lynntech is developing a portable, field-deployable diagnostic for rapid detection of two significant swine viruses not yet present in the U.S.: African Swine Fever Virus (ASFV) and Classical Swine Fever Virus (CSFV). ASFV, is from the same family as the smallpox or mpox viruses, Asfarviridae, is very lethal to pigs but non-infectious to humans, while CSFV, from the Flaviviridae family, is less lethal to adult pigs but poses a serious threat to juveniles. Both viruses can be introduced through contaminated feed or infected animals, and their introduction would severely impact the U.S. pork industry. Our assay uses nucleic acid amplification to increase sensitivity and a visual detection method that eliminates the need for fluorescent dyes or a dedicated laboratory, making it highly practical in the field. The project will focus on developing the assay, validating its specificity for viral nucleic acids, and multiplexing it for the detection of both viral targets. We will further adapt our nucleic acid amplification equipment for field deployment. The portable, battery-operated device will offer a cost-effective solution for swine biothreat detection, appealing to both government agencies and commercial producers for real-time, on-site diagnostics.