Swine Virology, Innovation and Genomics (VIRPIG) Unit of the Ploufragan-Plouzané-Niort Laboratory

The VIRPIG Unit carries out reference activities, scientific and technical expert appraisals and research on viral diseases in pigs. The viruses studied can be responsible for notifiable diseases, such as swine fever or Aujeszky’s disease, or diseases with a significant impact on animal health and the economy of the production sector, for example porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome (PRRS), swine influenza, certain coronaviruses and circoviruses. Exploratory studies are undertaken for other infections whose consequences in livestock farming are less well documented, paying particular attention to emerging or re-emerging viruses. Some swine viruses – mainly swine influenza viruses, which are zoonotic – are capable of crossing species barriers. Work on these pathogens is carried out in accordance with the “One Health” concept, in conjunction with players in human public health in particular.

Reference activities

The VIRPIG Unit is the National Reference Laboratory (NRL) for classical swine fever, African swine fever, Aujeszky’s disease, swine influenza and PRRS. In addition, it is the World Organisation for Animal Health (WOAH) Reference Laboratory for Aujeszky’s disease and the Directorate General for Food (DGAL) expert laboratory for porcine epidemic diarrhoea. It has been accredited by COFRAC for its reference activities according to the LAB GTA 27 (Animal immunoserology tests and analyses), LAB GTA 32 (Animal virology tests and analyses) and BIO MOL SA (Molecular biology analyses in animal health) guides, for both fixed and flexible scopes. 

Surveillance activities

The VIRPIG Unit contributes to the surveillance actions led by the national epidemiological surveillance platform for animal health (ESA). It participates in the “Swine fever in farmed swine”, “Swine fever in wild animals”, “Aujeszky’s disease” and “Swine influenza viruses” monitoring groups and is heavily involved in schemes such as Résavip, the national surveillance network for swine influenza A viruses. The surveillance data are used to improve and adapt diagnostic tools and provide input for research questions.

Research and development activities

Research into swine viruses focuses on five key areas: 

• improving detection tools, 

• characterising and studying the evolution of strains circulating in swine,

• studying their dynamics, mode of transmission and ability to cross species barriers, 

• understanding the mechanisms involved in pathogenicity and host defences, 

• developing new vaccines and evaluating the efficacy and safety of the vaccines currently on the market. 

The VIRPIG Unit also undertakes cross-disciplinary work to develop innovative methods (in vitro and ex vivo) for the study of pathogens, as well as research in applied bioinformatics. This work serves as a basis for the unit’s own research topics on swine viruses, as well as for the research pursued by the other units of the Ploufragan-Plouzané-Niort Laboratory and even other ANSES laboratories. 

National sequencing platform

The VIRPIG Unit also hosts ANSES’s National genomics platform for high-throughput sequencing and transcriptomics (NGS platform). This platform’s mission is to provide expertise and support to the Agency’s entities for their high-throughput sequencing projects and/or transcriptomic analyses, as well as for the implementation of innovative methods based on high-throughput sequencing.