In a major boost to India’s animal health security, scientists at the ICAR-National Institute of High Security Animal Diseases (NIHSAD), Bhopal, have developed the country’s first indigenous live attenuated vaccine against African Swine Fever (ASF), a deadly disease that has devastated pig populations and caused huge losses to farmers in recent years.
African Swine Fever, caused by the African Swine Fever Virus (ASFV), is among the world’s most destructive livestock diseases, affecting both domestic and wild pigs. The disease is marked by high fever, internal bleeding and mortality rates that can reach nearly 100 per cent. Since its first detection in India in 2020, ASF has spread across several states and Union Territories, severely impacting pig farming, especially in the North-East, where thousands of farmers depend on pig rearing for their livelihoods.
With no effective treatment and no commercially approved vaccine available in India until now, authorities have largely relied on rapid diagnosis, culling of infected animals and strict biosecurity measures to contain outbreaks.
The financial impact of the disease has been severe. In Assam alone, ASF outbreaks in 2020 and 2021 led to pig deaths and culling that caused estimated losses of around ₹276 crore. In Mizoram, more than 11,000 households have been affected by ASF outbreaks up to 2025, with financial losses estimated at nearly ₹982 crore.
To address this challenge, ICAR-NIHSAD developed a novel MA-104 cell line-based live attenuated vaccine using an ASFV Genotype II strain with specific gene deletions. Scientists say the technology is suitable for large-scale production and represents a significant breakthrough in veterinary research.
The vaccine has successfully cleared a series of laboratory evaluations, including tests for sterility, purity, safety, genetic stability, immune response, protective efficacy and the possibility of the virus reverting to a virulent form. It was also field-tested in partnership with the Department of Animal Husbandry and Dairying under the Ministry of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying, where it demonstrated safety and effectiveness under real-world conditions.
