Abstract
Since its emergence in China in 2018, African swine fever virus (ASFV) has posed a severe threat to the pig farming industry due to its high transmissibility and mortality rate. The clinical signs of ASFV infection often overlap with those caused by other swine viruses such as classical swine fever virus (CSFV), porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome virus (PRRSV), pseudorabies virus (PRV), and porcine circovirus type 2 (PCV2), making timely and precise diagnosis a considerable challenge. To address this, we established a TaqMan-based multiplex real-time quantitative PCR (qPCR) assay capable of simultaneously detecting ASFV, CSFV, PRRSV, PRV, and PCV2. Specific primer-probe sets were developed targeting conserved genomic regions: the ASFV P72 gene, CSFV 5'UTR region, PRRSV ORF6, PCV2 cap gene, and PRV gB gene. After thorough optimization, the assay demonstrated robust analytical performance, exhibiting strong target specificity with no cross-detection of non-target pathogens. The detection threshold was determined to be 10 copies/μL per virus, indicating high assay sensitivity. Repeatability analysis revealed low variability, with intra- and inter-assay coefficient of variation values remaining below 2.3%. When applied to 95 clinical samples, the multiplex assay yielded results that were fully consistent with those obtained using commercially available singleplex qPCR kits. In conclusion, the multiplex TaqMan qPCR method developed in this study is characterized by high specificity, sensitivity, and reproducibility. It provides a reliable and efficient diagnostic tool for the simultaneous detection and differential diagnosis of ASFV and other clinically similar viral infections in swine, thereby offering robust technical support for swine disease surveillance and control.