March 31, 2022

USDA developing African Swine Fever vaccine

The US Department of Agriculture's (USDA) Agricultural Research Service is currently working on an African swine fever (ASF) vaccine, but the virus would make development difficult, WGEM News reported.

Dr Doug Groth from the Carthage Veterinary Service said ASF is a complicated DNA double-stranded virus, which makes it difficult to develop a vaccine.

ASF has been detected in swine in Haiti and the Dominican Republic, which has led to concerns that it could spread to the US.

Groth said there has been some promising stuff in the development of an ASF vaccine last year, but it could take more work to commercialise the vaccine.

He said the USDA has enforced strict biosecurity measures to ensure that ASF does not spread into the US. These measures include banning animal imports from countries with reported ASF infections, and stringent checks of imported food products.

Groth said there are concerns that ASF could infect the wild boar population south of country, and advised pork producers to maintain biosecurity measures and watch out for common diseases among hogs such as the Porcine Reproductive and Respiratory Syndrome Virus (PRRS).

-      WGEM News