Submit an abstract!

The GARA Executive Committee is accepting abstract submissions for presentation at the GARA Scientific Meeting. You may submit your abstract to be considered for oral or poster presentation. Please note that the poster presentations will be digital posters, and more details and specifications for the posters will be shared with presenters after selections are made.

Please complete the below abstract submission form in full by the deadline to be considered.

Abstract submission will close on 24 January 2025.


Apply for travel support

The GARA Executive Committee trying to secure funding to provide travel support to individuals who may not have the resources to attend. If your attendance would be dependent on support from the GARA Committee, please complete the below application form in full by the deadline to be considered.

Travel support application will close on 24 January 2025.

Agenda at a Glance

Day 1 - April 28

Welcome

Session

Session

Day 2 - April 29

Session

Session

Dinner

Day 3 - April 30

Session 

Session

Closing


Keynote Speakers

placeholder_200x200
placeholder_200x200
placeholder_200x200

Name

Biography

Name

Biography

Name

Biography


Abstract Booklet

You can download the abstract booklet here.


Poster Presentations

Epidemiology

Risk Assessment of ASFv Transmission in Pork Products and Molecular Detection in Visayan Warty Pigs in the Philippines

by Cherry P. Fernandez-Colorado

Bridging gaps in risk communication and community engagement for African swine fever management in Asia and the Pacific

by Domingo Caro III 

An overview of African Swine fever outbreaks in South Africa (2016 to 2024)

by Refiloe Malesa

Epidemiological investigation of an African swine fever outbreak on a commercial farm in Uganda

by Tonny Aliro

Community- based Biosecurity Approaches (CABI) in the Philippines and Beyond

by Yooni Oh

National Biosecurity Plan for the swine value chain in the Dominican Republic: Modernization and resilience

by Diego Rojas Morea 

African swine fever in Sardinia: an happy ending story.

by Federica Loi

 

Assessement of carbon dioxide traps for collecting Ornithodoros ticks from warthog (Phacochoerus africanus) resting sites in Subsahara Africa.

by Ferran Jori

A strategic approach to disease mapping based on insights from the African swine fever outbreak in Sweden

by Hyeyoung Kim

Advances in molecular epidemiology of the African swine fever virus in Rwanda and Tanzania 

by Jean Nepomuscene Hakizimana

An Overview of the U.S. Swine Health Improvement Plan

by Kathleen O'Hara

Biologging as a surveillance tool for ASF monitoring in wild boar: first insights from a Sardinian Case Study

by Kevin Morelle

African swine fever and smallholder farmers

by Mantoane Thapelo Rametse

Community African swine fever Biosecurity Interventions in Kosovo

by Mark Hovari

WiBISS: A tool to estimate losses avoided to pig producers with early ASF wild boar vaccination – a Northern Italy case study

by Marta Martinez Avilés

Estimation of the sensitivity of the surveillance system used  to  inform actions against African swine fever in northern Italy

by Nicoletta Vitale

Two complete African Swine Fever Virus Genomes Isolated from the 2023 Outbreak demonstrates the First Report of Genotype II in Benin

by Okri Frejus Hans Ohouko

Enhancing African swine fever control strategies in South Africa: contributions to disease introduction and spread by smallholder pig farmers

by Oonagh Pretorius

Farmer perceptions and actions following the first outbreak of African Swine Fever in Sweden

by Susanna Sternberg Lewerin

AFRICAN SWINE FEVER IN LATIN AMERICA AND CARIBBEAN: Innovative approach for awareness campaigns

by Nicolas Winter

From national parks to international borders: Unveiling the silent threats, high-risk zones and seasons of African swine fever in Uganda

by Emmanuel Hasahya

Assessment of risk factors for African swine fever in Gauteng province

by Keneiloe Montsu

Semi-quantitative risk assessment of African swine fever introduction into Trinidad and Tobago through legal importation of swine products

by Teola Noel

 

 

Immunology & Virology

Establishment of a single-cell RNA sequencing platform for the investigation of immune responses against ASFV under high containment conditions

by Alexander Schäfer

Molecular Profiling of Cytokine Gene Expression: Insights into the Immune Response of Pigs Infected with Local Isolates of ASFv in the Philippines

by Cherry P. Fernandez-Colorado

A model of protective immune responses against African swine fever virus infection in immunized pigs

by Kirill Lotonin

Infection with moderately virulent African swine fever virus conveys protection against highly virulent challenge for at least six months

by Virginia Friedrichs

ASFree M.e.a.t. (meet export agreement on trading): safeguarding the Italian cured pig products from African Swine Fever

by Maria Serena Beato

An African Swine Fever Vaccine-Like Variant with Multiple Gene Deletions Caused Reproductive Failure in a Vietnamese Breeding Herd

by Do Tien Duy 

Biological Containment for African Swine Fever (ASF) in BSL-3 Laboratory and Animal Facility of the Italian National Reference Laboratory: A Continuous Journey in Enhancing Biosafety and Biosecurity Measures

by Francesco Feliziani

Hybrid Sequencing Approach for African Swine Fever Virus Whole Genome Assembly

by Gabriela Ilona Janairo

Role of Calliphora vomitoria larvae as possible reservoirs and mechanical vector of African Swine Fever virus: preliminary results.

by Monica Giammarioli

Survival at +4°C, +20°C and +37°C of Italian genotype I and II African Swine Fever strains

by Maria Serena Beato

Whole-Genome Sequencing of African Swine Fever Virus in Serbian Samples 2019–2023

by Urška Kuhar

Exploring Viral Metagenomics in ASFV-Positive Samples from the Philippines Reveals Co-Infection with Other Swine Pathogens

by Ann Catherine Y. Cabrera

Generation of tools for the study of p32-host cell interaction

by Roberta Piredda

 

 

 

Diagnostics

A new RT- PCR for of Classical Swine Fever Virus detection in Swine and Wild boar, allowing for parallel testing with the ID Gene ASF qPCRs.

by Anna Greatrex

Simultaneous Detection of Antigen and Antibodies of African Swine Fever in a Novel Combo Lateral Flow Assay

by Gabriela González-García

The ACDP Swine Diseases PCR and African Swine Fever Serology Proficiency Testing Program

by David Williams

Laboratory validation of Real-Time PCR assays for detection of African swine fever in faecal samples

by Maria Serena Beato

Evaluation of a Portable Point-of-Care Test to Detect African Swine Fever Virus using EDTA blood and serum samples.

by Ming-shan Tsai

A brisk response mobile biocontainment laboratory and genome sequencing project to support rapid, efficient diagnostics and surveillance of ASF outbreaks in the Philippines: Current Updates and Challenges

Zyne Baybay

Field comparison of ASFV target tissues and non-invasive samples in wild boars during the genotype II Italian epidemic

by Maria Serena Beato

Evaluation of a commercial real-time PCR kit to detect African Swine Fever Virus using various clinical samples and direct amplification using porcine serum.

by Ming-shan Tsai

Development of a Novel Indirect ELISA for the Serological Diagnosis of African Swine Fever Targeting p11.5 Protein

by Mizuki Watanabe

Differences in clinical scoring may influence the outcome of experimental African swine fever studies; harmonization needed?

by Sandra Vreman

Development and preliminary evaluation of a highly sensitive method for detecting African swine fever virus in oral fluids from naturally infected raised pigs in Northern Vietnam

by Wataru Yamazaki

Development of a highly sensitive point-of-care test for African swine fever that combines EZ-Fast DNA extraction with LAMP detection: Evaluation using naturally infected swine whole blood samples from Vietnam

by Yasuko Yamazaki

FAO Innovations: Portable qPCR for outbreak management: Comparative analysis of laboratory-based and portable qPCR platforms

by Agathe Auer

Co-circulation of two genotypes and serogroups of African swine fever virus in Nigeria

by Pam Dachung Luka

 

 


Agenda Overview

FAO Headquarters, Building A, Green Room

You can review the detailed agenda here.

April 28

8:00-9:30 Registration*
9:30-9:50 Welcoming Remarks
9:50-11:00 Epidemiology Session
11:00-11:30 Coffee break
11:30-12:40 Epi Session Continued
12:40-14:10 Lunch
14:10-15:35 Epi Session Continued
15:35-15:50 Coffee break
15:50-16:35 Poster Session
16:35-17:45 Epi Session Continued
17:45-18:00

Closing Remarks

Evening Social Meeting and Networking

 

April 29

9:00-10:45 Immunology Session
10:45-11:15 Coffee break
11:15-12:45 Virology Session
12:45-14:15 Lunch
14:15-15:45 Vaccine Session
15:45-16:00 Coffee break
16:00-16:30 Poster Session
16:30-17:45 Vaccine Session Continued
17:45-18:00 Closing Remarks

 

April 30

9:00-9:10 Welcome
9:10-10:30 Diagnostics Session
10:30-11:00 Coffee break
11:00-12:00 Diagnostics Session Continued
12:00-13:00 Presentation Awards & Closing Remarks

 


Oral Presentation Guidelines

Oral Presentation slots are 12 minutes

File submission & compatibility

Recommend the wide-screen 16:9 format
Submit as a .PPTX file
Naming Convention: LastName_PresentationTitle.pptx

DEADLINE: 20 April 2025

Submit to your PowerPoint file to  GARA@crdfglobal.org by April 20.

Please ensure your final presentation is submitted by April 20. We cannot guarantee that late submissions or late changes can be accommodated.

Poster Presentation Guidelines

Poster presentations will be presented in a digital format. Please do not bring a physical printed poster to the meeting. All specifics on formatting of the digital poster presentations are below as well as an example file. 

There will be dedicated poster viewings and each author will have a dedicated 10-minute slot to stand with their poster presentation during the poster viewing sessions. We encourage discussion and networking during the poster session. The schedule is forthcoming.

Slide format & size

Slide size: 2160 x 3840 pixels (portrait mode)
Aspect ratio: 9:16
File format: PowerPoint (.PPTX)

 

 

 

 

 

Design & layout

Font size: At least 32pt for body text and 60pt for headings
Font type: Use a clear, sans-serif font (e.g. Arial, Calibri, Open Sans)
Color contrast: Ensure high contrast between text and background
Images & graphics: Use high-resolution images (300 DPI) to prevent pixelation 
Margins: Keep important content away from the edges to prevent cropping

 

File submission & compatibility

Submit as a .PPTX file
Naming Convention: LastName_PosterTitle.pptx
DEADLINE: 20 April 2025

Submit to your PowerPoint file to  GARA@crdfglobal.org by April 20.

Please ensure your final presentation is submitted by April 20. We cannot guarantee that late submissions or late changes can be accommodated.

Logistics

Venue 

The Scientific Meeting will be held at the FAO Headquarters in Rome, Italy: 
Viale delle Terme di Caracalla 00153 Rome, Italy

Hotels 

There are a variety of hotels and accommodation options near the venue. Accommodation booking and payment will be the responsibility of the attendees. 

Visa 

You can identify if you need a visa to visit Italy here 

 

FAQs 

Are any meals provided during the Symposium? 
Coffee breaks will be provided on all days of the meeting. Delegates will be responsible for their own lunch each day. There are two cafeterias at the FAO and many restaurants within walking distance. 

Is there a virtual option to attend this meeting? 
At this time, there are not plans to host a virtual option for the Meeting.  We look forward to seeing you in person in Rome. 

What is the dress code for the Meeting? 
Suggested dress code is business casual. 

 


GARA logo large
For inquiries regarding the GARA Scientific Meeting, email the meeting organizers: