Wild boar can be immunized against African Swine Fever by a new vaccine delivered to the animals in their food, says new research. Published in  Frontiers in Veterinary Science , it is the first report of a promising inoculation against this deadly disease, which is a worldwide threat to the swine industry. The study also provides evidence that this immunity can be passed on via contact with immunized individuals, but further studies are needed to examine exactly how this occurs, as well as the safety of repeated administration.

“African swine fever is of enormous concern to the pig industry,” says  Dr. Jose Angel Barasona , a researcher at the VISAVET Health Surveillance Centre and co-author of this research. “Our study demonstrates the effectiveness of the first oral vaccine against this disease on Eurasian wild boar. Overall, we demonstrate that oral immunization of wild boar conferred 92% protection against a highly pathogenic strain of African Swine Fever, which is currently circulating in Asia and Europe.”