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African Swine Fever vaccine candidate passes crucial test

The USDA says one of their African Swine Fever vaccine candidates has passed an important safety test. 

The potential vaccine has passed the “reversion to virulence” test, ensuring the weakened form of the ASF virus used in the vaccine does not revert to its original state.

Agricultural Research Service scientist Manuel Borca says that’s a critical milestone, and that these safety studies bring the vaccine one step closer to being available on the market.  ARS Scientist Douglas Gladue says the research team deleted a gene, which makes it difficult for the virus to simply add the gene back, but the test still had to be performed.

USDA has partnered with NAVETCO on ASF vaccine development since 2020, and this vaccine candidate has been selected for commercial development in Vietnam once Vietnamese government approval is received.

This particular vaccine candidate is officially called ASFV-G-DI177L.