A new vaccine has been discovered which could provide a breakthrough in the global battle against African swine fever (ASF).

A study published in Frontiers in Veterinary Science shows how an oral vaccine administered to wild boar has shown to effectively immunise a number of animals.

Immunisation

"Overall, we demonstrate that oral immunisation of wild boar conferred 92% protection against a highly pathogenic strain of African swine fever, which is currently circulating in Asia and Europe,” Dr Jose Angel Barasona said.

The immunisation offered through the vaccine can also be passed between pigs by contact and “shedding”.

“The ‘shedding’ of this vaccine might help amplify vaccination coverage, reducing the need for expensive production and large-scale administration of vaccine in the field,” Barasona said.

However, he added that more tests are still needed to guarantee the efficacy of the vaccine.

The disease has ravaged the pig population in China, with mass culling this year to try to prevent the spread of the disease.

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African swine fever vaccine discovered

A new study has uncovered an oral vaccine that has proved effective against the deadly disease.