Infectious ASF virus detected in porcine plasma feed ingredient in South Korea

Researchers tested 72 SDPP and 219 compound-feed samples collected from farms affected by ASF outbreaks in South Korea in 2026. ASFV DNA was detected in two SDPP samples and two compound-feed samples. Virus isolation from the samples was initially unsuccessful. The team then randomly assigned nine healthy, four-week-old pigs to three groups: intramuscular inoculation with ASFV-positive SDPP, feeding with ASFV-positive compound feed, or a negative control.

All three pigs inoculated with SDPP developed fever and progressive illness and died, at a mean of 8.0 days after inoculation (SD 0.8). Researchers detected viremia and viral shedding from day 4 onward and subsequently isolated viable virus from the pigs’ spleens. Pigs fed compound feed and control pigs remained clinically stable and uninfected over the 30-day feeding period. The isolate’s genome was 99.98% identical to a South Korean farm-outbreak strain detected in 2025.

The findings identify infectious ASFV in SDPP and raise the possibility that contaminated animal-derived feed ingredients could contribute to transmission. However, the feeding experiment included only three pigs, and infection through compound-feed consumption cannot be excluded. The article is an early-release report, and the authors say further investigation is warranted.