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MUVE

Student Competition 10-Minute Paper

Grad 10-min: MUVE, Forensic Entomology, Muscoid Flies

Insect diversity and abundance associated with shallow-trench composting of swine carcasses from a simulated African swine fever disease outbreak

On-Demand
Student Competition On-Demand
African Swine Fever (ASF) Virus is a double-stranded DNA virus that causes a highly contagious hemorrhagic disease with almost 100% mortality in swine. Soft ticks (Argasidae), swine lice (Haematopinus suis), and stable flies (Stomoxys calcitrans) are proven insect vectors of the disease. This study focused on insects associated with the burial site of pig carcasses and the potential of identified insects to transmit ASF from burial sites to domestic or wild swine populations. For this study, shallow-trench composting of pig carcasses was examined, with 50 pigs each buried under soil in two trenches, 50m long × 0.6m deep × 2m wide, lined with 0.3m of wood chips. Both femurs were inoculated, at time of burial, with swine pox virus to model ASFV infection. Pitfall and malaise traps were used to capture and collect the insects. Traps were collected every 2-3 days August-October, once-a-month November-March, and every other week from April-September. All insects were identified to family and Coleoptera and Diptera were identified to the most specific classification morphologically possible. To date, 19,643 arthropods have been identified from both trapping methods. The most common fly family was Calliphoridae and beetle families are still being identified. To assess persistence of swine pox virus and its movement by insects, insects within the trench were collected post-burial after 1,2, and 3 weeks, and 1,2,4,6 and 12 months. One preliminary swine pox virus qPCR test from insects collected in the trenches was positive.