The news on ASF and the impact in the meat business
ASF Vaccine
The mortality rate for African swine fever in pigs can be as high as 100 percent and at the current time there is no way to prevent it, no way to treat it. The enormous economic impact of ASF is pushing many laboratories, institutions and researchers to work hard on a vaccine.
More than sixte per cent of the world pork population is in Asia. Pork is widely consumed but you know what, this delicacy which is a source of food and income for millions of people is at risk. In recent years african swine fever, a deadly pig disease, has been spreading through Asi. In the…
The USDA researchers at the ARS agency laboratory of Plum Island are making encouraging progress in the fight against ASF and the development of the a vaccine. African Swine Fever has been causing outbreaks in Asia and Europe. As a result of these outbreaks there’s been a shortage of worldwide available protein. In the last…
The world’s largest pork producer has been affected by a new form of african swine fever that has been identified in chinese pig farms according to expertsvand industry insiders. The strain is most likely caused by illicit, fake and not approved vaccines. Two new strains of african swine fever have infected more than thousands of…
Why is so difficult to find an African Swine Fever vaccine?
But considering the current technology and expertise they have why can’t researchers figure out a way to make a vaccine to stop the highly contagious animal disease?
African swine fever now confirmed to be in South Korea despite the best efforts of local authorities causes hemorrhagic fever and kills almost every pig that contracts it.
There have been cases of pigs dying as quickly as one week after becoming infected; but despite the devastating nature of the disease there is no known treatment or vaccine on the market but given the technology available to modern science why is that the case?
One consideration experts make is when compared to other viruses, the African swine fever virus is large in structure. Viruses like the ASF contains several genotypes which means there are numerous types of proteins that the virus can produce in the animal’s body. These proteins act as a defensive shield for the virus which makes it extremely complex to fight.
It doesn’t mutate often, however, because the DNA structure of the virus is so complex, it produces a variety of antigens it is difficult for the animals immunity systems to fight back.
ASF versus Foot and Mounth Desease FMD
Compared to the foot-and-mouth disease which can produce more than ten types of proteins, African swine fever can produce more than 200.
Also aside from the recent outbreaks in Europe and in China, the virus mainly affected the African continent in the past which could explain why well-funded research institutes in the West and Asia have focused their efforts elsewhere.
Currently work on a vaccine is being expedited in the US, China and Europe but experts warn that even if a vaccine can be formulated it would take some time for it to be approved and going to mass production. Researchers also caution that because African swine fever is capable of destroying immune cells, any vaccine that could be developed might not be 100% effective.