Identifiant du topic: HORIZON-CL6-2023-FARM2FORK-01-5

Advancing vaccine development for African swine fever

Type d'action : HORIZON Research and Innovation Actions
Nombre d'étapes : Single stage
Date d'ouverture : 22 décembre 2022
Date de clôture : 12 avril 2023 17:00
Budget : €12 000 000
Call : Fair, healthy and environmentally-friendly food systems from primary production to consumption
Call Identifier : HORIZON-CL6-2023-FARM2FORK-01
Description :

ExpectedOutcome:

A successful proposal will support research and innovation to help policy makers and economic operators reduce the burden of African swine fever (ASF), thus contributing to a safeguarding animal health and the economic resilience of the sustainable livestock industry.

Activities under this topic will contribute to the following expected outcomes:

  • Improved capacity to develop ASF pilot vaccines and their companion DIVA tests for the possible prevention and/or eradication of the disease in domestic pigs and wild boars;
  • Vaccination strategies for both wild boar and domestic pigs, addressing different objectives and needs (e.g. eradication in wild boar; emergency or preventive use in domestic pigs).
  • Increased international cooperation on a possible ASF vaccine.

Scope:

ASF is a devastating viral disease that has showed its potential for very serious and rapid spread, not only in Europe, but throughout the world. It has a serious socio-economic impact on farming sector and is of major importance in the international trade of animals and animal products. While strict control measures including in particular biosecurity, culling of infected pigs, appropriate management of wild-boar populations, have contributed to reduced spread of the disease, concerns are raised on the possibility to eradicate the disease without vaccination in the long-term.

Global research efforts are starting to show some promising results, but further work on the development of effective and safe ASF vaccines is needed, as an additional tool to re-inforce control and eradication strategies currently in place.

All the following elements should be incorporated:

  • Address the necessary steps for developing pilot vaccines against ASF for domestic pigs and wild boars;
  • Address the necessary steps to develop companion DIVA tests, where feasible.
  • Decipher pathogen genetics/genomics and immune response of the host, to develop innovative approaches to African swine fever vaccine development, at least including those virus types circulating in Europe. Study different types of vaccines and modern techniques to develop novel ASF vaccines;

In order to achieve the expected outcomes, international cooperation is encouraged in particular with North America.

The selected project should take into consideration the EU animal health regulatory framework.

Proposals should ensure adequate involvement of stakeholders from the European Medicines Agency, veterinary authorities, farmers and hunters. Involvement of the pharmaceutical industry is highly recommended.

While it is expected that proposals will present innovative approaches to ASF vaccine development, the projects could consider the relevant activities and outputs of past or ongoing EU funded research, such as VACDIVA[1] and DEFEND[2], and of other international projects on ASF vaccine and build on them where appropriate. They should contribute to the relevant objectives of the Star-Idaz International Consortium[3].

[1]https://vacdiva.eu/

[2]https://defend2020.eu/

[3]https://www.star-idaz.net/