Trying to stop the pig massacre

1997/05/01 Elhuyar Zientzia Iturria: Elhuyar aldizkaria

• Abeltzaintza
• Albaitaritza

The emergence of European swine fever has led to the deaths of thousands of pigs in Germany and the Netherlands. German scientists have developed a vaccine to end these killings. The vaccine will begin next year.

But there is a paradox in this news. The swine fever vaccine is already invented, but its use can hinder efforts to definitively eradicate the disease. The old vaccine also has other drawbacks: inoculated pigs and those with viruses produce the same antibodies. Therefore, antibody tests cannot differentiate diseased pigs from vaccinated voids.

German researchers have invented a new vaccine from a specific part of the virus protein. The vaccine is made with a gene of this protein, which once injected produces immunity to the virus. Scientists claim that the key to stopping pig slaughter may be in this protein.