Standardization of pathological investigations in the framework of experimental ASFV infections

African swine fever is still one of the major viral diseases of swine for which a commercial vaccine is lacking. For the design and development of such preventive products, researchers involved in African swine fever virus (ASFV) vaccinology need standardized challenge protocols and well characterized clinical, pathological and immunological responses of inbreed and outbreed pigs to different viral strains and vaccine-like products. The different approaches used should be assessed by immunologist, virologist and pathologist expertise. The main objectives of this guideline are to (1) briefly contextualize the clinical and pathological ASFV presentations focusing on points that are critical for pathogenesis, (2) provide recommendations concerning the analysis of clinical, gross and microscopic observations and (3) standardize the pathological report, the terminology employed and the evaluation of the severity of the lesions between the ASFV research groups for comparing inter-group data. The presented guidelines establish new approaches to integrate such relevant pathological data with virological and immunological testing, giving support to the global interpretation of the findings in the future experiments of ASFV-related vaccinology and immunology.

► Review of the clinical and pathological presentations upon ASFV infection. ► Recommendations concerning the analysis of clinical as well as gross and microscopic pathological findings. ► Standardize the pathological report, the terminology employed and the evaluation of the severity of the lesions. ► Improve the inter-group data comparison between the ASFV research groups.