Within the framework of the VAX4ASF project, MATE experts are working together with several international specialists on potential solutions to control African swine fever (ASF). The program aims to develop safe and effective vaccine prototypes, with particular attention to European virus variants and the regulation of the immune response. The research focuses not only on vaccine production, but also on the development of diagnostic tools that can distinguish between vaccinated animals and those infected naturally.

The project brings together seventeen partners from eleven countries over a four-year period, with six million euros in funding from the European Union. The ultimate goal is to protect domestic pigs and wild boar, and to stop the spread of the virus by developing new epidemiological strategies. This collaboration promises a scientific breakthrough in animal health against a globally devastating disease.

The presentations held at the 3rd General Assembly of VAX4ASF, organized in Gödöllő on 5–6 May 2026, provided a detailed overview of the project’s progress, technical challenges, and future milestones. All countries and all partners were represented in person during the two-day program, with a total of 39 participants. Two Hungarian partners are involved in the work: Prophyl Ltd., based in Mohács and led by Dr. Máté Halas, Scientific Director, and the Institute for Wildlife Management and Nature Conservation of MATE, under the leadership of Professor Sándor Csányi and the Department of Wildlife Biology and Management. The fact that the third meeting of the event was organized in Gödöllő, at the MATE Institute, reflects the recognition of the Institute for Wildlife Management and Nature Conservation and its important role within the program.

The leaders of the individual work packages reported on their results to date. Among other topics, the experts presented the development of DISC — single-cycle — and LAV — inducible live attenuated — vaccine candidates. Although experiments so far have shown excellent safety results, with 100% survival, efficacy remains limited. Therefore, the work is now focusing on the characterisation of new candidates produced using CRISPR/Cas9 technology and on improving genetic stability. The aim is to identify the viral genes responsible for protection. During the research, 18 unique ORFs — open reading frames — were identified that are recognised by the immune system of protected animals. Experts are also examining genes, particularly those from the MGF110 family, that influence the host interferon response, thereby supporting the design of more effective vaccines.

Building Immunity for a Healthier World — HIPRA — also reported on the establishment of Master Cell Banks, MCBs, and the optimisation of virus production processes. A DISC vaccine stock was successfully produced using a method that resulted in a more than 100-fold increase in titre compared with the previous procedure, which is essential for later animal trials and industrial-scale production. Researchers are also working on the development of diagnostic tools, ELISAs, that can distinguish infected animals from vaccinated ones. So far, 19 antigen candidates have been tested, of which p30/32 showed the best performance, in close agreement with commercially available kits.

The models presented examine transmission between wild boar and domestic pig populations in Hungary, Poland and Romania. The data show that wild boar density is a critical factor, while the effects of hunting and vaccination are being analysed as part of control measures. It was noted that backyard farms in Romania may serve as a bridge between wild boar populations and commercial pig farms.

Among the presentations, Sándor Csányi introduced the work carried out so far by the Institute for Wildlife Management and Nature Conservation. Using camera traps, the Institute examined the possibility of contact between wild boar and domestic pigs at four intensive large-scale pig farms. The results of camera trapping conducted near four Bonafarm Ltd. pig farms indicate that, contrary to preliminary assumptions, intensive farms are much less threatened and visited by wild boar. Together, the database of the National Game Management Database and the Nébih ASF database provide one of the most significant modelling opportunities within the program. The outbreak currently occurring in Southern Transdanubia, on the Drava Plain, enables almost real-time analysis.

Work continues within the framework of VAX4ASF, and we trust that by the end of the program the researchers will achieve genuinely breakthrough results at the international level as well.