Protecting U.S. Swine from a Looming Animal Disease Threat
African Swine Fever (ASF) is a highly contagious and deadly viral disease of both domestic and wild swine. The disease, which does not pose a threat to human health or food safety, is found in countries around the world, particularly in sub-Saharan Africa. More recently, it has spread through China, Mongolia and Vietnam, eastern parts of Europe, and the Dominican Republic. ASF has not yet been detected in the United States. However, animal health experts at the ARS Plum Island National Animal Disease Research Center in New York are preparing countermeasures in case of its arrival and to assist our global partners in fighting this disease.
To date, ARS has patented 5 experimental ASF vaccines and granted 13 licenses to pharmaceutical companies interested in commercially developing them. The latest candidate vaccine effectively protected both European- and Asian-bred swine from the latest ASF strain in global circulation. This is significant because the majority of swine used in the global food supply are produced in Asia, where ASF outbreaks have been especially devastating and costly to the swine industry.
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