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. 2023 May 16;12(5):721.
doi: 10.3390/pathogens12050721.

Static Aerated Composting of African Swine Fever Virus-Infected Swine Carcasses with Rice Hulls and Sawdust

Mark Hutchinson  1 , Hoang Minh Duc  2 , Gary A Flory  3 , Pham Hong Ngan  2 , Hoang Minh Son  4 , Tran Thi Khanh Hoa  2 , Nguyen Thi Lan  5 , Dale W Rozeboom  6 , Marta D Remmenga  7 , Matthew Vuolo  7 , Robert Miknis  7 , Lori P Miller  7 , Amira Burns  8 , Renée Flory  9
Affiliations

Static Aerated Composting of African Swine Fever Virus-Infected Swine Carcasses with Rice Hulls and Sawdust

Mark Hutchinson et al. Pathogens. .

Abstract

Identifying and ensuring the inactivation of the African Swine Fever virus in deadstock is a gap in the swine industry's knowledge and response capabilities. The results of our study demonstrate that ASFv in deadstock was inactivated using static aerated composting as the carcass disposal method. Replicated compost piles with whole market hogs and two different carbon sources were constructed. In-situ bags containing ASFv-infected spleen tissue were placed alongside each of the carcasses and throughout the pile. The bags were extracted at days 0, 1, 3, 7, 14, 28, 56, and 144 for ASFv detection and isolation. Real-time PCR results showed that DNA of ASFv was detected in all samples tested on day 28. The virus concentration identified through virus isolation was found to be below the detection limit by day 3 in rice hulls and by day 7 in sawdust. Given the slope of the decay, near-zero concentration with 99.9% confidence occurred at 5.0 days in rice hulls and at 6.4 days in sawdust. Additionally, the result of virus isolation also showed that the virus in bone marrow samples collected at 28 days was inactivated.

Keywords: African Swine Fever virus; carcass management; compost; inactivation.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors have no conflict to declare.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Pathology of the selected swine carcasses used for composting. Enlarged and hemorrhagic spleen (a) and lymph nodes (b). Necrotic lesions on/under the skin of the abdomen (c). Excess of yellow fluid in the heart (d).
Figure 2
Figure 2
Static aerated swine carcass compost piles in this study.
Figure 3
Figure 3
Placement of market-size hog on compost base material of rice hulls.
Figure 4
Figure 4
Placement of sample bags around the carcass.
Figure 5
Figure 5
Haemadsorption in ASF virus-infected cells. Arrow indicates HAD rosettes.
Figure 6
Figure 6
The temperature profile of compost piles with rice hulls and sawdust.
Figure 7
Figure 7
The prediction of virus concentration during compost.
Figure 8
Figure 8
Bones remaining at day 144 of composting market-size hogs with rice hulls (a) and sawdust (b).
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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