Swine fever

Swine Fever

 

 

[Image appears of four different photos of pigs in the background, and Dr Sam Davis can be seen inset in the foreground talking to the camera and pointing to the photos, and text appears: Dr Sam Davis, Australian Centre for Disease Preparedness]

 

Dr Sam Davis:  What if I told you that these wacky pig species could become extinct because of this virus?

 

[Image changes to show a photo of a virus from under the microscope in the background, and Sam can be seen inset talking to the camera in the foreground]

 

This is the African swine fever virus, which is fatal to almost every pig it encounters and is causing a pork-ocalypse.

 

[Image changes to show a photo of a piglet in the background, and Sam can be seen inset talking to the camera in the foreground]

 

ASF is safe to us humans and if we eat contaminated pork we'll be fine.

 

[Image changes to show Sam talking in front of images of boots next to a truck, pigs eating, a tick, and a pig, all linked to a central pig labelled “Susceptible Pigs”, and text appears: Contaminated vehicles/equipment, Ingestion of contaminated carcasses or food waste through swill feeding, Direct contact with infected, Infectious soft ticks]

 

But it is mostly transmitted between pigs either via direct contact or indirectly on contaminated materials.

 

[Image changes to show a map of Europe with orange and green pinpointed areas in the background, and Sam can be seen talking to the camera in the foreground]

 

ASF has killed millions of pigs across Europe, Asia and the Caribbean, costing billions of dollars.

 

[Image changes to show a map of Asia with orange and green pinpointed areas in the background, and Sam can be seen talking to the camera in the foreground]

 

With recent outbreaks in Timor-Leste and PNG this very unwelcome visitor is knocking at Australia's doorstep.

 

[Image changes to show a photo of a piglet looking up at the camera, and Sam can be seen talking to the camera in the foreground]

 

However, there are no approved vaccines for ASF in Australia and many other countries.

 

[Image changes to show a photo of three piglets in some hay, and Sam can be seen talking to the camera in the foreground]

 

But live virus vaccines have been approved for use in some South-East Asian countries and these use ASF with the bad bits removed. But these have safety concerns and the potential to revert to the lethal virus.

 

[Image changes to show a photo of a pig swimming in the ocean with a bird on its back, and Sam can be seen talking to the camera in the foreground]

 

So what's standing between our pigs and ASF? Well the ocean and biosecurity measures.

 

[Image appears of four different photos of pigs in the background, and Sam can be seen talking to the camera in the foreground]

 

But luckily here at CSIRO we are working on a safer vaccine using novel technology. And we hope with our vaccine we can save the pigs from the pork-ocalypse.