University of Minnesota researchers are at the forefront of successful efforts to work on the African Swine Fever virus. They’re developing and validating a surrogate virus for ASF that will help develop effective mitigation strategies to control the virus and keep it from entering North America.
African Swine Fever has devastated pig populations and pork production in countries around the world. The lab is one of only a handful of facilities in the U.S. to have access to the highly contagious ASF virus, and its work represents a major breakthrough in research efforts. In addition to working directly on the African Swine Fever Virus, the surrogate virus is strikingly similar to ASF in terms of its structure and stability. It can be safely used in field studies to help scientists understand more about how the virus is transmitted in real-world conditions and what strategies are effective to prevent its spread.
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