It has been recently described the UPL-rt-PCR is the most sensitive and trustworthy method for detecting ASF, followed by the OIE-rt-PCR [20]. antigen detection has been developed and evaluated. The test is based on the use of a MAb against VP72 protein of ASFV, the major viral capsid protein and highly immunogenic. First experiments using VP72 viral and recombinant protein or inactivated tradition disease showed promising results having a level CP21R7 of sensitivity similar to that of a commercially available Antigen-ELISA. Moreover, these strips were tested with blood from experimentally infected pigs and field animals and the results compared with those of PCR and Antigen-ELISA. For the experimentally infected Bmp7 samples, there was an excellent correlation between the LFA and the ELISA, while the PCR constantly showed to be more sensitive CP21R7 (38 % positive samples by PCR versus 27?% by LFA). The LFA was demonstrated to be positive for animals with circulating disease levels exceeding 104 HAU. With the field samples, once again, the PCR recognized more positives than either the Antigen-ELISA or LFA, although here the number of positive samples obtained from the LFA exceeded the ideals acquired with the Antigen-ELISA, showing 60?% positivity 48?% for the ELISA. For the two groups of sera, the specificity was close to 100?% indicating that hardly any false positive samples were found. Conclusions The newly developed LFA allows quick and reliable detection of ASFV, at field and laboratory level, providing a new useful tool for control programs and in situations where laboratory support and experienced staff are limited. family, genus [1]. ASFV was first recognized in 1921 in Kenya as the cause of lethal hemorrhagic disease in home pigs [2]. In Europe, ASF was launched to Portugal in 1957, and from CP21R7 1960, in other countries such as Spain or Italy and the Caribbean islands, but finally eradicated. Currently, the disease is definitely endemic in the majority of Sub-Saharan countries and Sardinia (Italy) [3, 4]. Since the intro of ASFV into Georgia in 2007 from East Africa, several cases have been declared in Armenia, Azerbaijan and in the Russian Federation, where continued uncontrolled distributing poses a serious threat to the swine market worldwide [5C8]. The disease again manifested itself in early 2014, when the 1st instances of ASF in crazy boar in Lithuania and Poland were reported in areas bordering on Belarus. Since then, the ASFV offers spread in Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania and Poland, mostly influencing crazy boar and to a lesser degree home pigs [9, 10]. Presently, the disease is definitely threatening other areas in Europe and Asia due to CP21R7 the potential prolonged spillover of the disease to adjacent areas. The natural hosts of ASFV are the home and crazy suids, and smooth ticks of the genus Ornithodoros. The infection of warthogs and bushpigs in Africa results in slight disease, often asymptomatic, with low viraemia titers, developing into a prolonged infection in most cases [4, 11C13]. These animals act as reservoir hosts of ASFV in Africa. On the other hand, infection of home pigs, European crazy boar, and American crazy pigs prospects to more acute diseases with high rates of morbidity and mortality [14]. At present, no treatment or vaccine is definitely available to prevent ASF and the control strategy mainly relies on enforcement of sanitary actions and slaughtering of infected and exposed animals [15]. Therefore, early and specific analysis of the infection is definitely urgently required for prevention, control, and eradication of the disease in affected countries. In the majority of cases, the severe nature of the epidemic disease influencing the Eastern European countries prospects to mortality with high levels of viral presence in cells and blood [16C19]. Consequently, the ASF analysis in the National Reference Laboratories of the affected countries should always include the detection of the disease, the antigen or the ASFV genome. The OIE-recommended checks for disease detection include disease isolation, fluorescent antibody test and both real-time and standard PCR assays [20, 21]. However, these methods are still rather time consuming and require well-equipped laboratories and staff, delaying the disease diagnosis in remote areas [22C25]. In the present statement we describe a novel approach for detection of viral antigen by an immunochromatographic test, based on the use of a monoclonal antibody against the major viral capsid protein of ASFV, VP72. The test was first setup using semi-purified viral protein and inactivated cells culture disease. Further studies for validation of the test were carried out using experimental and field serum samples. This novel pen-side test gives a rapid and simple assay that may allow early detection of ASFV illness, especially useful for screening crazy suids in.