Genotyping of African Swine Fever Virus

Molecular methods are routinely used for the differential diagnosis and genetic characterization of viral diseases of livestock. Real-time PCR (qPCR) is known as the gold standard diagnostic method for most diseases and is also used for the detection of African swine fever virus (ASFV) DNA in clinical specimens. To determine the ASFV genotype or identify additional genome markers, endpoint PCR is usually performed on ASFV-positive specimens, followed by Sanger sequencing and data analysis. Here, we describe the ASFV genotyping method used at the OIE Reference Laboratory for ASF at the Pirbright Institute, United Kingdom.