Will CRISPR Offer Hope For Controlling African Swine Fever?

"New vaccine trials hold great promise in the management of an East African strain of African swine fever, one of the most devastating diseases to afflict pigs," writes Cornell's Alliance for Science (a group who gives its mission as correcting misinformation and countering conspiracy theories slowing progress on issues including synthetic biology and agricultural innovations). Slashdot reader wooloohoo shares their report:Scientists at the International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI) are employing CRISPR Cas9 editing and synthetic biology to modify the ASFV genome in order to attenuate the virus for a live vaccine to help reduce deaths from African swine fever. Up to 10 vaccine candidates have been lined up for tests, in a project that commenced in 2016... African swine fever is present in 26 African countries, Steinaa observed, as well as in parts of Asia and Europe. An effective vaccine could be a breakthrough for pig farmers across the globe... With a 100 percent fatality rate and a highly contagious nature, African swine fever poses a potent threat to the global pig farming industry. The rapid spread of the disease portends social and economic disruptions wherever it strikes.

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