Bhopal: In a significant milestone for India’s animal health sector, scientists of the ICAR-National Institute of High Security Animal Diseases (ICAR-NIHSAD), Bhopal, have developed the country’s first indigenous MA-104 cell-based live attenuated vaccine against African Swine Fever (ASF). The breakthrough is expected to strengthen India’s preparedness against one of the most devastating viral diseases affecting the pig farming sector.
(Source: Facebook page, ICAR)
The achievement marks an important advancement in India’s efforts towards self-reliance in veterinary vaccine development and animal health security. African Swine Fever is a highly contagious viral disease of domestic and wild pigs that can cause severe mortality and inflict substantial economic losses on pig farmers.
Recognizing the scientific achievement, Dr. M. L. Jat, Secretary, Department of Agricultural Research and Education (DARE) and Director General, Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR), felicitated the scientists who were instrumental in developing the indigenous vaccine.
The scientific team comprising Dr. D. Senthil Kumar, Dr. K. Rajukumar, Dr. G. Venkatesh, Dr. Fateh Singh and Dr. Aniket Sanyal was honoured for its outstanding contribution to veterinary science and animal health security.
While felicitating the scientists, Dr. M. L. Jat appreciated their dedicated efforts and described the development as a significant step towards strengthening India’s preparedness against ASF. He emphasized that such indigenous innovations are vital for advancing the country’s vision of Atmanirbhar Bharat in animal health and veterinary vaccine production.
The occasion was also attended by Dr. Raghavendra Bhatta, Deputy Director General (Animal Science), ICAR, along with the Assistant Director General (Animal Health) and the Director, ICAR-NIHSAD, Bhopal.
The ICAR-National Institute of High Security Animal Diseases (ICAR-NIHSAD), Bhopal, is a premier national institute under ICAR dedicated to research, diagnosis, surveillance and preparedness against high-consequence animal diseases. The institute plays a crucial role in protecting India’s livestock resources by undertaking advanced research on emerging, exotic and transboundary animal diseases. Located in Bhopal, ICAR-NIHSAD serves as an important national centre for high-security animal disease research and diagnosis. Its work is particularly significant for diseases such as African Swine Fever, which pose serious threats to livestock production, farmers’ livelihoods and the wider animal health economy.
The development of India’s first indigenous ASF vaccine further highlights the importance of ICAR-NIHSAD’s scientific capabilities and its contribution towards strengthening animal health security, indigenous vaccine technology and sustainable livestock development. For India’s pig farming community, the development brings renewed hope for better disease preparedness and long-term protection of the piggery sector. It also demonstrates how cutting-edge research institutions can translate scientific innovation into solutions addressing critical challenges faced by farmers.
The achievement of the ICAR-NIHSAD scientists is therefore not only a landmark in veterinary vaccine research but also an important step towards building a more resilient, self-reliant and disease-secure livestock sector in India.
