If you are here, you have obviously read the headline. Yes, there is a buzz that a workable vaccine against African Swine Fever could be right around the corner. Now, there are a few more steps that need to be taken, but we seem to be on the right track. If effective, this could be a big sigh of relief for hog producers.
The American Society for Microbiology reports that U.S. government researchers have a vaccine against ASF that has given some very promising results. Dr. David Pyburn is the chief veterinarian with the Pork Checkoff. He gives us some insight as to what has been developed.
Pyburn says we still have some distance to travel before a vaccine becomes commercially available.
Pyburn says this vaccine is the first he has seen to be effective against ASF with no viral shedding. Keep your fingers crossed that we have a line of defense against an enemy that hasn?t attacked.
There is a downside, though. If the vaccine becomes commercially available, this means the Chinese ASF outbreak can be brought under control more quickly. It also means a quicker end to the boon of pork exports which we have recently enjoyed to China.
Knowing hog farmers as I do, I believe many of them would think that the slowing of ASF-related exports to China is a small price to pay for their own peace of mind.
