TY - JOUR

T1 - Uptake and Survival of African Swine Fever Virus in Mealworm (Tenebrio molitor) and Black Soldier Fly (Hermetia illucens) Larvae

AU - Olesen, Ann Sofie

AU - Lazov, Christina Marie

AU - Lecocq, Antoine

AU - Accensi, Francesc

AU - Jensen, Annette Bruun

AU - Lohse, Louise

AU - Rasmussen, Thomas Bruun

AU - Belsham, Graham J.

AU - Bøtner, Anette

N1 - Publisher Copyright: © 2022 by the authors.

PY - 2023

Y1 - 2023

N2 - Insect production offers a sustainable source of nutrients for livestock. This comes with a risk for transmission of pathogens from the insects into the livestock sector, including viruses causing serious diseases, such as African swine fever virus (ASFV), classical swine fever virus and foot-and-mouth disease virus. ASFV is known to survive for a long time within animal meat and byproducts. Therefore, we conducted experimental exposure studies of insects to ASFV using larvae of two key insect species produced for food and feed, the mealworm; Tenebrio molitor, and the black soldier fly, Hermetia illucens. The larvae were exposed to ASFV POL/2015/Podlaskie, via oral uptake of serum or spleen material from ASFV-infected pigs. Using qPCR, the amounts of viral DNA present immediately after exposure varied from ~104.7 to 107.2 genome copies per insect. ASFV DNA was detectable in the larvae of H. illucens for up to 3 days post exposure and in T. molitor larvae for up to 9 days post exposure. To assess the presence of infectious virus within the larvae and with this, the risk of virus transmission via oral consumption, pigs were fed cakes containing larvae exposed to ASFV. Pigs that consumed 50 T. molitor or 50 H. illucens virus-exposed larvae did not become infected with ASFV. Thus, it appears, that in our experimental setting, the risk of ASFV transmission via consumption of unprocessed insect larvae, used as feed, is low.

AB - Insect production offers a sustainable source of nutrients for livestock. This comes with a risk for transmission of pathogens from the insects into the livestock sector, including viruses causing serious diseases, such as African swine fever virus (ASFV), classical swine fever virus and foot-and-mouth disease virus. ASFV is known to survive for a long time within animal meat and byproducts. Therefore, we conducted experimental exposure studies of insects to ASFV using larvae of two key insect species produced for food and feed, the mealworm; Tenebrio molitor, and the black soldier fly, Hermetia illucens. The larvae were exposed to ASFV POL/2015/Podlaskie, via oral uptake of serum or spleen material from ASFV-infected pigs. Using qPCR, the amounts of viral DNA present immediately after exposure varied from ~104.7 to 107.2 genome copies per insect. ASFV DNA was detectable in the larvae of H. illucens for up to 3 days post exposure and in T. molitor larvae for up to 9 days post exposure. To assess the presence of infectious virus within the larvae and with this, the risk of virus transmission via oral consumption, pigs were fed cakes containing larvae exposed to ASFV. Pigs that consumed 50 T. molitor or 50 H. illucens virus-exposed larvae did not become infected with ASFV. Thus, it appears, that in our experimental setting, the risk of ASFV transmission via consumption of unprocessed insect larvae, used as feed, is low.

KW - African swine fever virus

KW - black soldier fly

KW - feed safety

KW - insect rearing

KW - mealworm

KW - virus survival

KW - virus transmission

U2 - 10.3390/pathogens12010047

DO - 10.3390/pathogens12010047

M3 - Journal article

C2 - 36678395

AN - SCOPUS:85146797484

VL - 12

JO - Pathogens

JF - Pathogens

SN - 2076-0817

M1 - 47

ER -