Baculo-Virus Based Vaccine for Controlling Classical Swine Fever and Porcine Cysticercosis

Between 60–80 % of food in most developing countries is produced by women; thus, women play a critical role in household food security. Intensive pork production is key to sustained food security and it is therefore critical to address diseases that lead to reduced pork production. As men increasingly seek alternative employment in urban areas, raising of livestock for sale (e.g., pigs) has fallen to women. Classical swine fever (CSF) and porcine cysticercosis (PC) (a tissue infection by the pork tapeworm) are often fatal diseases of pigs worldwide, causing major economic loss among farmers. The cysts causing PC also cause human neurocysticercosis, triggering adult onset seizures in most low-income countries. Universidad Peruana Cayetano Heredia is developing a vaccine that protects against both CSF and PC, simplifying and lessening the expense of vaccination, and thereby increasing vaccine compliance among farmers and avoiding pig loss and pork condemnation. The new vaccine will also improve human health by interrupting the growth of the cysts responsible for human neurocysticercosis.