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USDA ASF vaccine candidate a first
The two USDA scientists who report success with a vaccine to prevent African Swine Fever say it is the first of its kind to their knowledge.
Manuel Borca, lead scientist with ARS, says the vaccine they produced came from the original virus of 2007 and is able to protect against the current Asian ASF strain.
“The vaccine produced with the original virus is able to protect the with the viruses that have been isolated 10 years later in the field.”
Doug Gladue, senior scientist with ARS, says this expands their results outside of the Plum Island Animal Disease Center, “Where a commercial partner was able to grow the vaccine and repeat our results in domestic pigs but importantly, also, in a local breed of pigs to Vietnam. So this shows that the vaccine works in multiple breeds of pigs.”
The scientists say their research continues to study the safety of the ASF vaccine candidate as they work carefully with the U.S. government and their commercial partner Navetco toward commercialization.
