Field verification of an African Swine Fever Virus Loop-Mediated Isothermal Amplification (LAMP) assay during an outbreak in Timor-Leste

Recent outbreaks of African swine fever virus (ASFV) have seen the movement of this virus into multiple new regions with devastating impact. Many of these outbreaks are occurring in remote, or resource-limited areas, that do not have access to molecular laboratories. Loop-mediated isothermal amplification (LAMP) is a rapid point of care test that can overcome a range of inhibitors. We outline further development of a real-time ASFV LAMP, including field verification during an outbreak in Timor-Leste. To increase field applicability, the extraction step was removed and an internal amplification control (IAC) was implemented. Assay performance was assessed in six different sample matrices and verified for a range of clinical samples. A LAMP detection limit of 400 copies/rxn was determined based on synthetic positive control spikes. A colourmetric LAMP assay was also assessed on serum samples. Comparison of the LAMP assay to a quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) was performed on clinical ASFV samples, using both serum and oral/rectal swabs, with a substantial level of agreement observed. The further verification of the ASFV LAMP assay, removal of extraction step, implementation of an IAC and the assessment of a range of sample matrix, further support the use of this assay for rapid in-field detection of ASFV.