Vaccine development approaches for African Swine fever virus (ASFV)
Md. Tanjir Islam, Alex McAuley
CSIRO Health & Biosecurity, Australian Centre for Disease Preparedness (ACDP), Geelong, VIC 3220, Australia
Abstract
African swine fever (ASF) is a lethal and contagious pig disease caused by the African swine fever virus (ASFV), which can result in mortality rates of up to 100% in infected pigs. Symptoms of ASF in pigs can range from mild to severe conditions. ASF virus cannot be transmitted from pigs to humans. ASF is one of the highest biosecurity threats to the Asia Pacific regions and Australia. There is no licenced vaccine available for ASF. Lack of understanding of ASFV pathogenesis and strategies of the viral mechanism of innate immune evasion hinder the ASF vaccine development. Live and inactivated vaccines are effective against ASFV but cannot be commercialized because of several side effects. Subunit, live vector and DNA vaccines are less effective against ASFV. The challenge is to develop a safe and effective vaccine against all ASFV strains that can be produced economically, at scale, and can be readily adopted by pig producers. Recent studies reveal that both cellular and humoral responses tend to be more effective against ASFV. An ideal ASF vaccine should be stable, able to stimulate both humoral and cellular immunity, provide complete protection across ASFV subtypes, have minimal side effects and be DIVA (Differentiating Infected from Vaccinated Animals) compatible. Using novel adjuvants and delivery systems in conventional vaccine strategies can be promising to elicit higher efficacy. Understanding the knowledge gaps on mechanisms of pig immunity and protective responses to ASFV can pave the way for developing an effective ASFV vaccine.
References
African swine fever latest report: World organisation for Animal Health (WOAH) https://www.woah.org/app/uploads/2024/01/asf-report45.pdf