Pigs infected with African swine fever are culled in Tân Hiệp Commune, Tân Hiệp District in southern Kiên Giang Province in June last year. — VNA/VNS Photo

HÀ NỘI — The Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development has asked the US Department of Agriculture to transfer a virus sample to Việt Nam so a vaccine for African swine fever can be researched and produced.

The statement was made at a working session between representatives of the ministry and the US Department of Agriculture from February 10-14.

Việt Nam has sent 20 virus samples from 17 provinces to the US for research and production of the vaccine, the ministry said.

The ministry suggested the US consider supporting Vietnamese technical experts to go to the US or sending US experts to Việt Nam to jointly conduct research and produce an African swine fever vaccine.

It also suggested the US side support the development of a vaccine quality assessment process for Việt Nam to promulgate vaccine testing standards after successful research.

At the meeting, US scientists announced the results of research showing that the US vaccine has been effective against African swine fever, which has spread in China and Southeast Asia recently.

The results indicate that the vaccine must be either from a circulating virus strain or an isolated strain of the same genotype, for it to be effective. — VNS