Chinese scientists have announced that they have developed the
first genetic vaccine which prevents foot-and-mouth disease in pigs
- possibly a sign of hope for a world troubled by the disease.
“The results of 18 years’ research, the vaccine is the first of its
kind in the world, proving to be much safer than non-genetic,
traditional vaccines,” said professor Zheng Zhaoxin, from the
School of Life and Science at Fudan University, one of the leaders
of the research group.
Foot-and-mouth disease, one of the most persistent, ancient viruses
on earth, afflicts cloven-hooved animals such as pigs, sheep, goats
and cattle.
The disease is transmitted rapidly through the air, food and
various other channels. Infected animals get a high fever and then
erosions and blisters appear on the mouth, tongue, lips and
feet.
Once an animal is found infected by the virus, the entire herd is
usually killed and buried as deep as possible in an effort to
prevent it spreading. The disease has caused immense financial
losses to farms and related industries. Fortunately, the disease is
harmless to human beings.
Zheng’s research team started investigating foot-and-mouth disease
as early as in 1982, and the resulting vaccine has now been
patented by the patent authorities.
“Lab tests have shown that our vaccine is effective in protecting
pigs from catching the disease, with a success rate of 80 to 100
percent,” Zheng said.
He
said that so far only pigs had been successfully vaccinated against
the virus-0 strain, one of seven different strains of the
disease.
More tests will be carried out to ascertain its effectiveness in
other animals, Zheng added.
Zheng said the development of the vaccine was just the beginning,
and further research would be carried out in a bid to find vaccines
for other animals.
The latest foot-and-mouth crisis started in southeast England on
February 20, and China has since taken measures to prevent the
disease.
A
circular issued on March 1 by the Ministry of Agriculture and the
State Exit-Entry Inspection and Quarantine Bureau banned imports of
British cloven-hooved animals and products, and any goods or people
coming from Britain are being disinfected.
China has also banned imports of cloven-hooved animals from
Myanmar, Mongolia and other countries where foot-and-mouth disease
has broken out.
(China Daily 03/22/2001)