India’s first indigenous  African Swine Fever Vaccine for pigs is major breakthrough in veterinary research

 
Union Agriculture and Farmers Welfare Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan has dedicated India’s first indigenous MA-104 Cell Line-Based Live Attenuated African Swine Fever (ASF) Vaccine for pigs. The Ministry said that the vaccine is a major breakthrough in veterinary research and is well suited for large-scale production. It said that the vaccine has successfully undergone comprehensive laboratory evaluation, including sterility, purity, safety, genetic stability, immunogenicity, protective efficacy and virulence reversion studies. The vaccine was field validated in collaboration with the Department of Animal Husbandry and Dairying further establishing its safety and efficacy under field conditions. The vaccine is recommended for healthy pigs above eight weeks of age and is administered as a 1 mL intramuscular injection, followed by a booster dose 14 days after the primary vaccination. Ministry of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying Rajiv Ranjan Singh was present on the occasion. 
 
Speaking on the development, Secretary, Department of Agricultural Research and Education, Dr. M.L. Jat said that this breakthrough marks the dawn of a new era in veterinary science. He said that the breakthrough reflects India’s growing scientific capability to develop world-class animal health solutions and paves the way for a new generation of indigenously developed vaccines. 
 
Over 1.5 lakh passenger journeys were recorded in a single day on the Delhi-Meerut Namo Bharat on the 3rd of this month.