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African Swine Fever (ASF) is an acute hemorrhagic fever affecting suids with high mortality and morbidity rate. The causal agent of ASF, the African Swine Fever Virus (ASFV), is an icosahedral virus of 200 nm diameter, composed of an outer envelope layer of host derivation and a linear 170-190 kb long dsDNA molecule. As of today, no efficient therapeutic intervention nor prophylactic measures exist to fight ASFV diffusion, underlining the importance of the early diagnosis and the need for efficient in-field screening of ASF. Recommended guidelines for the diagnosis of ASF are unpracticable in the desirable context of the rapid in-farm screening. In this view, the design of innovative diagnostics based on a panel of multiple ASFV epitopes would amend versatility and the analytical performances of the deliverable, ensuring high quality and accuracy standards worth of implementation in rapid in-field monitoring programs. Pursuing this view, we performed epitope prediction from the major AFSV structural proteins holding the potential to be targeted in innovative rapid diagnostic tests. Selected ASFV structural protein sequences were retrieved from data repositories and their tridimensional structure was computed. Linear and 3D protein structures were subjected to the prediction of the epitope sequences, that are likely to elicit antibody production, by independent bioinformatic tools, providing a list of candidate biomarkers whose batch employment held the potential suitability for the unbiased rapid in-field diagnosis and, in turn, might be implemented in screening programs, crowing the current monitoring and control campaigns that are currently running worldwide.

Multiple, epizootic outbreaks of feline panleukopenia (FPL) caused by feline parvovirus (FPV) were recorded in shelter‐housed and owned cats in eastern Australia between 2014 and 2018. Most affected cats were unvaccinated. We hypothesized that low population immunity was a major driver of re‐emergent FPL. The aim of this study was to (i) determine the prevalence and predictors of seroprotective titers to FPV among shelter‐housed and owned cats, and (ii) compare the prevalence of seroprotection between a region affected by FPL outbreaks (Sydney, eastern Australia), and a region with no recent history of FPL outbreaks (Perth, western Australia). FPV antibodies were detected by hemagglutination inhibition assay on sera from 523 cats and titers ≥1:40 were considered protective. Socioeconomic indices based on postcode and Australian Bureau of Statistics census data were included in the risk factor analysis. The overall prevalence of protective FPV antibody titers was 94.3% and was similar between cats from outbreak (94.3%) and non‐outbreak regions (94.2%). On multivariable logistic regression analysis vaccinated cats were 29.94 times more likely to have protective FPV titers than cats not known to be vaccinated. Cats from postcodes of relatively less socioeconomic disadvantage were 5.93 times more likely to have protective FPV titers. The predictors identified for FPV seroprotective titers indicate that support targeted vaccination strategies in regions of socioeconomic disadvantage would be beneficial to increase population immunity. The critical level of vaccine coverage required to prevent FPL outbreaks should be determined to support initiatives to prevent the reemergence of this frequently fatal disease.

Multiple, epizootic outbreaks of feline panleukopenia (FPL) caused by feline parvovirus (FPV) occurred in eastern Australia between 2014 and 2018. Most affected cats were unvaccinated. We hypothesised that low population immunity was a major driver of re-emergent FPL. The aim of this study was to (i) determine the prevalence and predictors of seroprotective titres to FPV among shelter-housed and owned cats, and (ii) compare the prevalence of seroprotection between a region affected and unaffected by FPL outbreaks. FPV antibodies were detected by haemagglutination inhibition assay on sera from 523 cats and titres ≥1:40 were considered protective. Socioeconomic indices based on postcode and census data were included in the risk factor analysis. The prevalence of protective FPV antibody titres was high overall (94.3%), even though only 42% of cats were known to be vaccinated, and was not significantly different between outbreak and non-outbreak regions. On multivariable logistic regression analysis vaccinated cats were 29.94 times more likely to have protective FPV titres than cats not known to be vaccinated. Cats from postcodes of relatively less socioeconomic disadvantage were 5.93 times more likely to have protective FPV titres. The predictors identified for FPV seroprotective titres indicate targeted vaccination strategies in regions of socioeconomic disadvantage would be beneficial to increase population immunity. The critical level of vaccine coverage required to halt FPV transmission and prevent FPL outbreaks should be determined.