Vietnam develops 'world's first' African swine fever vaccine for commercial use
The vaccine has been in development since November 2019 in partnership with United States experts, with five clinical trials held.
June 1, 2022, 3:38 pm

Vietnam develops 'world's first' African swine fever vaccine for commercial use

Pork stall inside a market - Pixabay

Vietnam said on Wednesday (June 1) it had successfully developed a vaccine to administer to pigs to fight African swine fever, with the aim of becoming the first country to commercially produce and export it.

Deputy agriculture minister Phung Duc Tien said in a statement: "This is a milestone of the veterinary industry. With immunity lasting six months, the vaccine will be a shield for hog-raising industry and pig production globally."

The vaccine has been in development since November 2019 in partnership with United States experts, with five clinical trials held.

Tien said that its safety and efficacy were confirmed by the Agricultural Research Service under the US Department of Agriculture.

African swine fever originated in Africa before spreading to Europe and Asia and has killed hundreds of millions of pigs globally. It is harmless to humans - Photo: Pixabay

Tien added: "This success opens great expectations and the room to export African swine fever vaccine produced in Vietnam is huge."

He did not provide a timeframe for when the vaccine could be exported or estimate of Vietnam's production capacity.

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African swine fever, one of the most devastating livestock diseases, was first detected in Vietnam in February 2019 and forced the country to cull around 20% of its hog herd last year.

It originated in Africa before spreading to Europe and Asia and has killed hundreds of millions of pigs globally. African swine fever is harmless to humans.

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Although the swine fever outbreak has subsided in Vietnam, allowing farmers to rebuild hog herds, the virus is still hurting farms in some countries.

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BENEFIT, the Kingdom’s innovator and leading company in Fintech and electronic financial transactions service, has sponsored the BuildHer CityHack 2025 Hackathon, a two-day event spearheaded by the College of Engineering and Technology at the Royal University for Women (RUW).
Aimed at secondary school students, the event brought together a distinguished group of academic professionals and technology experts to mentor and inspire young participants.
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