Effect of gamma radiation on the course of African swine fever infection

Abstract

This report analyzes some data on the effect of management of animals γ-irradiated with doses causing mild, moderate, or severe acute radiation sickness and pigs being the carriers of some virulent ASF virus pathogens of serotypes I and IV (namely, strains 0–77 and Diamang) as observed 2 h or 3 to 34 days after the irradiation procedure had started. When the animals were radiated combined with their infection with virulent ASF virus strains, a more severe course of the infection was observed, whereas the infection development with a background of radiation injury made the radiation sickness more violent. The ASF virus accumulation levels in blood, organs, and/or tissues of the irradiated animals were reliably higher (namely, by approximately 1.0 to 1.5 log HAU₅₀/cm³) than those for nonirradiated ones.