- Why in news
- On 4 August 2026, at ICAR Foundation Day, Union Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan dedicated to the nation India's first indigenous African Swine Fever vaccine, developed by ICAR-NIHSAD, Bhopal.
- What it is
- African Swine Fever is a viral disease of domestic and wild pigs caused by the African Swine Fever Virus. It has no approved treatment in India, and control has relied on culling and biosecurity. The new vaccine is a live attenuated type made from a gene-deleted ASFV Genotype II strain grown in the MA-104 cell line.
- Developer
- The vaccine was developed at ICAR-National Institute of High Security Animal Diseases (NIHSAD), Bhopal.
- Vaccine type
- It is a live attenuated vaccine using an ASFV Genotype II virus with unique gene deletions.
- Dose
- Given to healthy pigs above eight weeks of age as 1 mL intramuscular injection, with a booster after 14 days.
- First detection in India
- ASF was first detected in India in 2020, and the North-East has been hit hard.
- Cell line advantage
- The widely available MA-104 cell line avoids dependence on patented proprietary platforms, as used by Vietnam's licensed vaccines.
Don’t confuse with ASF vs Classical Swine Fever: Both affect pigs, but they are different viral diseases. CSF has long had vaccines in India, while ASF had no approved vaccine until now.
Science and technology: 57 Prelims questions since 2013; most test the concept behind the news, not the news itself. In Mains, 12 news-triggered questions.
Why it matters
- Reduces dependence on imported or proprietary vaccine platforms, supporting Atmanirbhar Bharat.
- Protects livelihoods of smallholder pig farmers, especially in the North-East.
Problems
- Live attenuated vaccines need strict safety checks, including virulence reversion monitoring.
- Rollout needs cold chain, farmer awareness and regulatory approval for large-scale use.
Way forward
- Scale up production with industry partners and ensure affordable supply.
- Combine vaccination with surveillance, biosecurity and compensation for culling.
Put in your answer
Mizoram losses: ASF outbreaks reportedly affected over 11,382 households up to 2025, with about ₹982 crore loss.
Assam losses: Outbreaks in Assam in 2020 and 2021 caused estimated losses of about ₹276 crore.
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UPSC’s own questions that come close to this issue, from our Prelims and Mains banks.
Prelims practice · Statements
Ours, not from a UPSC paper
Consider the following statements:
- 1.African Swine Fever is caused by a virus and affects both domestic and wild pigs.
- 2.The indigenous African Swine Fever vaccine developed by ICAR is an inactivated (killed) virus vaccine.
- 3.The indigenous vaccine uses the widely available MA-104 cell line, unlike the licensed vaccines in Vietnam that use patented proprietary cell lines.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
True or false?
1 of 7
Statements the way Prelims prints them. Say first, then see the fact.
1.African Swine Fever is caused by the African Swine Fever Virus and affects domestic and wild pigs.
True. ASF is caused by ASFV and affects domestic and wild pigs.
2.The vaccine developed by ICAR is an inactivated (killed) virus vaccine.
False. It is a live attenuated vaccine.
3.The vaccine was developed at ICAR-NIHSAD, Bhopal.
True. ICAR-National Institute of High Security Animal Diseases, Bhopal, developed it.
4.ASF was first detected in India in 2020.
True. First detection in India was in 2020.
5.The vaccine is given as a single-dose subcutaneous injection with no booster.
False. It is a 1 mL intramuscular injection with a booster 14 days later.
6.The vaccine is grown on a patented proprietary cell line, as are the licensed vaccines in Vietnam.
False. The Indian vaccine uses the widely available MA-104 cell line; the proprietary lines are those of Vietnam's vaccines.
7.ICAR functions under the Department of Agricultural Research and Education (DARE), whose Secretary is also the ICAR Director General.
True. The DARE Secretary also serves as ICAR Director General.
Written by us from the release, not by UPSC; checked by a second model.
Worth revising until Prelims 2028: most news questions come within two years of the event.