India Develops Indigenous African Swine Fever Vaccine, Strengthening Livestock Biosecurity

India has achieved a major breakthrough in veterinary science with the development of its first indigenous vaccine against African Swine Fever, one of the most destructive viral diseases affecting domestic and wild pigs.

Union Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan dedicated the vaccine to the nation during the Indian Council of Agricultural Research Foundation Day celebrations, in the presence of Union Minister Rajiv Ranjan Singh.

Developed by the ICAR–National Institute of High Security Animal Diseases in Bhopal, the vaccine represents an important step towards self-reliance in veterinary healthcare and could eventually help position India as a supplier of affordable African Swine Fever vaccines to other countries.

A Major Threat to Pig Farming

African Swine Fever is caused by the African Swine Fever Virus and is characterised by high fever, internal bleeding and extremely high mortality among infected pigs. In severe outbreaks, mortality can approach 100 per cent.

Although the disease does not affect humans, it can rapidly devastate pig populations, disrupt livestock trade and inflict serious financial losses on farming communities.

African Swine Fever was first detected in India in 2020 and subsequently spread to several States and Union Territories. The North-Eastern region, where pig farming is an important source of income and nutrition, has been particularly affected.

In the absence of an approved commercial vaccine or effective treatment in India, authorities have primarily depended on early diagnosis, movement restrictions, culling of infected animals, disinfection and strict farm-level biosecurity.

The economic consequences have been severe. Pig deaths and culling during outbreaks in Assam in 2020 and 2021 reportedly caused losses of around ₹276 crore. In Mizoram, outbreaks affected more than 11,382 households up to 2025, with estimated financial losses of approximately ₹982 crore.

These outbreaks demonstrated the urgent need for a domestically developed preventive solution capable of protecting livestock and securing the livelihoods of small and marginal pig farmers.

Developed Using a Widely Available Cell Line

Scientists at ICAR-NIHSAD developed the vaccine using a live attenuated Genotype II strain of the African Swine Fever Virus containing specific gene deletions.

The virus was adapted to grow in the MA-104 cell line, a widely available cell culture platform suitable for large-scale manufacturing. This distinguishes the Indian vaccine from several existing international products that rely on patented or proprietary cell lines.

The use of the MA-104 platform could reduce dependence on restricted manufacturing technologies, lower production costs and make it easier for Indian vaccine manufacturers to expand output.

This technological advantage could also improve the affordability and accessibility of the vaccine for farmers.

Extensive Safety and Efficacy Testing

The vaccine underwent comprehensive laboratory evaluation covering sterility, purity, safety, genetic stability, immune response, protective efficacy and the possibility of the weakened virus reverting to a virulent form.

It was also validated under field conditions in collaboration with the Department of Animal Husbandry and Dairying under the Ministry of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying.

According to the announced vaccination protocol, the vaccine is recommended for healthy pigs above eight weeks of age. It is administered through a one-millilitre intramuscular injection, followed by a booster dose 14 days after the first vaccination.

The development of an effective domestic vaccine could substantially reduce pig mortality, contain farm-level losses and support the recovery and expansion of India’s pig-rearing sector.

Strengthening India’s Animal Health Preparedness

The vaccine is expected to become an important component of India’s broader animal disease preparedness system.

By reducing the risk of large outbreaks, it could help protect breeding populations, stabilise pork production, limit restrictions on animal movement and reduce the need for mass culling during disease emergencies.

It could also strengthen confidence among farmers, particularly in regions where repeated outbreaks have discouraged investment in pig farming.

Dr M.L. Jat, Secretary of the Department of Agricultural Research and Education and Director General of ICAR, described the achievement as the beginning of a new phase in Indian veterinary science.

He said the development demonstrated India’s growing ability to produce world-class animal health technologies and could pave the way for a new generation of indigenous vaccines, diagnostic platforms and disease-control solutions.

Potential Global Opportunity

Only a limited number of commercially licensed African Swine Fever vaccines are currently available internationally, with some products manufactured in Vietnam using proprietary production platforms.

The ICAR-NIHSAD vaccine’s use of the commonly available MA-104 cell line offers India an opportunity to manufacture doses at scale without depending heavily on patented foreign cell-culture systems.

Once regulatory, manufacturing and deployment processes are completed, the technology could support domestic vaccination programmes and create opportunities for supplying affordable vaccines to countries facing similar outbreaks.

The achievement therefore carries significance beyond disease control. It strengthens India’s veterinary research capabilities, protects rural livelihoods, advances the goals of Atmanirbhar Bharat and reinforces the country’s food, livestock and biological security.

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Source: PIB

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