IIT Guwahati Develops India’s 1st Recombinant Swine Fever Vaccine

Guwahati: In a significant advancement in India’s battle against classical swine fever, the Indian Institute of Technology-Guwahati (IIT Guwahati) has successfully transferred groundbreaking technology for producing the nation’s first recombinant vaccine. This breakthrough aims to combat the highly contagious swine fever, which poses a significant threat to pig populations across the country, particularly in regions such as the northeast, Bihar, Kerala, Punjab, Haryana, and Gujarat.

Developed through a collaborative effort between IIT Guwahati and Assam Agricultural University, this innovative vaccine represents a pivotal development in veterinary science. According to a press release, the vaccine harnesses cutting-edge reverse genetics, leveraging the Newcastle disease virus as a vector to carry essential proteins from the swine fever virus. This method not only facilitates rapid immunity development but also ensures a cost-effective approach to vaccine production.

The successful technology transfer to Bio-Med marks a milestone in India’s fight against classical swine fever, a disease for which a vaccine has been notably absent.