On Nov. 13, 2023, the U.S. Department of Department of Agriculture (USDA) announced that researchers have reclassified the number of African Swine Fever (ASF) virus strains from 25 to only six unique genotypes.

Accurate classification of viruses is paramount for epidemiological investigations and the development of cost-effective countermeasures, including designing vaccines for unique strains of ASFV.