Progress in African Swine Fever Vector Vaccine Development.

Abstract

African swine fever (ASF) is a highly lethal, infectious, hemorrhagic fever disease, characterized by an acute mortality rate approaching 100%. It is highly contagious, and results in significant losses to the global hog industry as it spreads. Despite incremental progress in research on the African swine fever virus (ASFV), a safe and effective commercial vaccine has yet to be developed. Vector vaccines, a promising type of vaccine, offer unique advantages, and are a primary focus in ASFV vaccine research. This paper focuses on the characteristics of viral, bacterial, and yeast vector vaccines; elucidates the immunological mechanisms associated with antigens; lists the types of antigens that have significant potential; discusses the feasibility of using exogenously expressed cytokines to enhance the protective power of vector vaccines; and, finally, discusses the types of vectors that are commonly used and the latest advances in this field.