Australian and U.S. scientists are collaborating to develop a safe and effective vaccine against African swine fever, which is wreaking havoc on the world’s pig industries.
The government’s science and research organisation, CSRIO, and U.S. science firm MBF Therapeutics will study how pigs’ immune systems react to their novel vaccine candidate.
It comes as African swine fever recently spread through Asia, Indonesia, Timor-Leste, and Papua New Guinea.
While Australia has never experienced an outbreak, a large-scale attack could cost the economy up to $2 billion (US$1.27 billion).
African swine fever expert Dr. David William said with the disease’s widespread consequences, scientists need a reliable vaccine.
He said while vaccines have recently been approved for use in some parts of Asia, they were only weakened live virus vaccines, which could potentially cause the disease again or some side effects.
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Despite the difficulty with handling current vaccines, he said a secure CSIRO laboratory in Geelong, Victoria, was one of the few labs worldwide that could safely work with them.
He said the challenging work would include science tools and research.
“And learning from the experience for future research,” he said.
MBF Therapeutics CEO Thomas Tillett added that the work is based on technology adapted from treating human cancer.
The first African swine fever (ASF) outbreak has been reported in Cambodia near the Vietnam border. Joern Pollex/Getty Images
“MBF Therapeutics’ ultimate goal is to create a vaccine that can be used safely in all stages of swine production ... while preventing disease in individual animals and limiting transmission within the herd and environment,” he said.
The need to limit transmission comes after millions of pigs were killed from the virus overseas, thought to be the worst livestock pandemic in history.
The pandemic impacted pork production, pork industries, and farmers’ incomes.
What Does This Mean for Australia?
If Australia had a similar outbreak to those occurring overseas, it would significantly impact pig health and production.Broader economic impacts would include loss of access to overseas markets for pork products.
Estimates suggest that just a small-scale outbreak in domestic pigs in Australia, followed by eradicating the disease, would cost between $667 million and $800 million.
Meanwhile, a large-scale attack would cost $1.5 billion to $2 billion.
With no attack yet, Australia can still trade livestock with many countries, some of which restrict imports from countries with the virus.
However, CSRIO scientists said, “For Australia to continue trading, we must be able to provide evidence that we remain free from the virus.”
21 Percent Chance it Could Come to Australia, Experts Estimate
Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries, and Forestry Murray Watt confirmed the importance of Australia remaining virus-free as it is “right on our doorstep.”In early 2022, experts estimated a 21 percent chance of detecting African swine fever in Australia in the next five years.
“This just reminds us that while we are African swine flu-free, we can’t be complacent when it comes to biosecurity,” Mr. Watt said.
Therefore, he said the federal government provided $134 million in the last budget to strengthen Australia’s biosecurity system.
“We’re also working with our near neighbours to minimise disease entry into Australia, and we regularly screen and test meat and animal products at the border,” he said.
Australian Pork Limited CEO Margo Andrae welcomed the government’s commitment to protecting the Australian pork industry and the broader farming community from the virus threat.
“Our producers are already working hard to protect their farms, and this current understanding of the ongoing impacts of the disease threat is paramount,” Mr. Andrae said.
He said farmers were working hard to protect farms because the Australian Pork industry feeds Australian families with the 90 percent of production that stays in the country.
“An African swine flu breach would severely impact our ability to contribute to food security for Australians,” he said.
‘An Absolute Killer’
Animal Health Australia (AHA) agreed with the severity of the virus’s potential impact, urging all pig owners to take the risk seriously.AHA’s Biosecurity Senior Manager Dr. Rob Barwell added the virus is the current most pressing disease threat to the Australian livestock sector.
“There’s no two ways about it: African swine fever is an absolute killer,” Dr. Barwell said.
He said the threat was because of the virus’s survivability.
“The virus can also survive extreme temperatures and persist in meat products, including those that have been cooked, for months at a time,” he said.
He also said it can spread through direct contact between infected animals, on people’s clothing and equipment, and in infected feed and water.
“Given how infectious and fatal this disease is for pigs, our best hope is ensuring it stays out of Australia. Failing that, swift detection and rapid response will be essential.”
