The Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) announced on Tuesday that its indigenously developed vaccine against African Swine Fever (ASF) will help India substantially reduce pig mortality, minimise economic losses and improve the livelihoods of pig farmers, according to an ICAR statement reported by The Hindu Business Line. The vaccine was developed at the National Institute of High Security Animal Diseases in Bhopal, and arrives after ASF outbreaks that caused an estimated ₹276 crore in losses in Assam across 2020–2021 and about ₹982 crore in Mizoram, where more than 11,382 households were affected through 2025.
Outbreak toll: Assam and Mizoram
African Swine Fever is one of the most devastating trans-boundary animal diseases affecting domestic and wild pigs worldwide, ICAR said in a statement. It is characterised by high fever, haemorrhages and mortality rates that may approach 100 per cent, and has caused severe socio-economic losses to the global pig farming sector. Since its first detection in India in 2020, the disease has spread to several States and Union Territories, resulting in massive pig mortality, disruption of pig production, restrictions on animal movement and trade, and significant livelihood losses for smallholder pig farmers, particularly in the North-Eastern region.
| State | Period | Impact | Estimated loss |
|---|---|---|---|
| Assam | 2020–2021 | Pig mortality and culling | ₹276 crore |
| Mizoram | Through 2025 | More than 11,382 households affected | About ₹982 crore |
In the absence of an effective treatment or a commercially approved vaccine in India, disease control so far has relied on rapid diagnosis, culling of infected animals and strict biosecurity measures, ICAR said.
A live attenuated vaccine from Bhopal
The new vaccine is described as a MA-104 Cell Line-Based Live Attenuated ASF Vaccine for pigs. ICAR said the development used a novel attenuated ASFV Genotype II virus with unique gene deletions in the MA-104 cell line. The vaccine has successfully undergone comprehensive laboratory evaluation, including:
- Sterility
- Purity
- Safety
- Genetic stability
- Immunogenicity
- Protective efficacy
- Virulence reversion studies
It was also field validated in collaboration with the Department of Animal Husbandry & Dairying (DAHD), further establishing its safety and efficacy under field conditions, the government said.
Bolstering biosecurity
ICAR said the outbreaks have highlighted the urgent need for an effective indigenous solution to strengthen disease preparedness, protect farmers’ livelihoods and build resilience in the country’s pig farming sector. The statement added:
“These outbreaks have highlighted the urgent need for an effective indigenous solution to strengthen disease preparedness, protect farmers’ livelihoods and build resilience in the country’s pig farming sector.”
ICAR Director General M L Jat announced the breakthrough in a statement reported by The Hindu Business Line:
“This breakthrough marks the dawn of a new era in veterinary science. It 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 and innovative technologies that will strengthen livestock health, enhance disease preparedness, and support the nation’s food and biosecurity.” — M L Jat, Director General, ICAR
According to ICAR, the vaccine will help the country substantially reduce pig mortality, minimise economic losses and improve the livelihoods of pig farmers. For India’s livestock and animal health manufacturing sector, the development directly addresses the gap ICAR identified: no effective treatment or commercially approved vaccine for ASF existed in India, and control measures were limited to rapid diagnosis, culling and strict biosecurity. The new vaccine, now validated through field trials, gives pig farmers in the North-Eastern region and beyond a preventive tool against a disease that has devastated smallholder livelihoods since 2020.
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