Scientists at India’s ICAR–National Institute of High Security Animal Diseases (ICAR-NIHSAD), in Bhopal, have developed a new African swine fever (ASF) vaccine, as the country continues to battle the virus.
The indigenous live attenuated ASF vaccine features unique gene deletions using an Indian field isolate of ASFV Genotype II in MA-104 cells.
It has successfully undergone comprehensive laboratory evaluation, including sterility, purity, safety, genetic stability, immunogenicity, protective efficacy and virulence reversion studies, the institute said.
The vaccine is recommended for healthy pigs from eight weeks of age. It is administered as a 1 mL intramuscular injection, followed by a booster dose 14 days after the primary vaccination.
The Indian vaccine differs from the commercially licensed ASF vaccines in use in Vietnam. They are based on genetically engineered ASF viruses propagated in patented proprietary cell lines, whereas the indigenous vaccine is based on a commonly available cell line (MA-104).
This represents a ‘major technological breakthrough’, according to the researchers, as it ‘eliminates the dependence on proprietary manufacturing platforms, and enables scalable vaccine production while significantly reducing manufacturing cost’.
“This indigenous vaccine represents a major milestone in India’s efforts towards self-reliance in veterinary vaccine development and positions India to emerge as a major supplier of affordable, high-quality ASF vaccines to the international market,” the researchers said.
The vaccine was ‘dedicated to the nation’ by Shri Shivraj Singh Chouhan, the Hon’ble Union Minister of Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare and Rural Development, at the ICAR institute in New Delhi.
It is expected to significantly strengthen the prevention and control of ASF. Since it was first detected in India in 2020, ASF has spread to several states and territories, particularly in the north-eastern region, causing substantial losses to the pig industry.
“In the absence of any effective treatment or an approved commercial vaccine in India, disease control relies mainly on rapid diagnosis, culling of infected animals and strict biosecurity measures,” the researchers said.
