A pig breeder in Liaoning Province rides a 450-kilogram pig. With China's pig market still restricted in efforts to control the spread of African swine fever, the breeder said he hopes his pig riding will attract buyers. Photo: VCG

Chinese scientists have successfully isolated the first African swine fever (ASF) virus strain, which paves the way for the prevention of ASF and research into ASF vaccines. 

The research, conducted by the Harbin Veterinary Research Institute of Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, has been published on the website of the international journal Emerging Microbes and Infections (EMI). 

Researchers made a systematic study of the biological characteristics of China's first isolated ASF virus strain, including its infectivity, the ability of an infectious agent to cause disease, and ability to transmit, China Science Daily reported on Monday.

The virus strain, Pig/HLJ/18, was taken from a sample of pigs infected with ASF in Jiamusi, Northeast China's Heilongjiang Province on September 3, 2018. 

Studies show that the virus is virulent and transmitted among domestic pigs.

The study group injected different doses of Pig/HLJ/18 to pigs, and all of them died after six to 10 days. 

The preliminary elucidation of the genomic characteristics and evolutionary relationship of ASF strains in China provides an important scientific basis for the effective prevention and control of the ASF epidemic in China, and lays the foundation for the detection technology and prevention, according to China Science Daily.

As of March, 113 cases of ASF outbreaks have been found in 28 provinces and regions in China. 

ASF is a severe viral disease affecting domestic and wild pigs which can be spread by live or dead pig and pork products, but the ASF virus is harmless to humans, the Xinhua News Agency reported.