According to the latest statistics, from January through August 2026, there were approximately 7,138 outbreaks of African swine fever worldwide, resulting in the deaths of nearly 350,000 pigs. The disease remains the “number one threat” to the global swine industry. On September 2, the Philippines officially approved the market launch of an ASF vaccine developed in Vietnam and plans to allocate 1 billion in its 2027 budget to subsidize vaccinations for small-scale farmers. Additionally, global ASF vaccine research and development continues to advance, with current progress potentially ushering in a new phase in ASF prevention and control.
7,138 ASF Outbreaks Reported Globally from January to August, Resulting in Nearly 350,000 Pig Deaths
According to data from the Bureau of Animal Husbandry and Veterinary Medicine of the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, as of August 28, a cumulative total of 7,138 African swine fever outbreaks had been reported worldwide, resulting in 349,608 wild and domestic pigs dying from infection or being culled.
Globally, according to the international animal disease outbreak report for August 24–28, 132 African swine fever (ASF) outbreaks were reported in eight countries: Hungary, Finland, Poland, Latvia, Estonia, Serbia, South Africa, and Italy. In August, a total of 572 ASF outbreaks were recorded, resulting in the death or culling of 57,778 wild and domestic pigs.
Looking at the monthly trend in outbreaks, ASF cases peaked from January through April, averaging about 1,000 per month; the number dropped to just over 600 in May and June, but rebounded to 827 in July.
Although the number of outbreaks in August decreased slightly, the death toll of nearly 58,000 pigs indicates that ASF remains “rampant.” The number of pigs culled in the first eight months has surged by more than 80% year-over-year compared to the same period last year.
Philippines Begins Sales of First Vietnamese-Made African Swine Fever Vaccine; Plans to Allocate 1 Billion for Subsidies to Small-Scale Farmers Next Year
According to reports from local mainstream media outlets such as the Philippine Business Daily, on September 2, the Philippine Department of Agriculture announced that the Bureau of Animal Industry had officially approved the AVAC ASF LIVE vaccine, developed by Vietnam’s AVAC, for commercial sale.
This is the first African swine fever vaccine in the Philippines to be publicly available for fattening pigs; local farmers can now purchase it directly from veterinary drug retailers certified by the Bureau of Animal Industry.
This vaccine from Vietnam’s AVAC is a freeze-dried, attenuated live vaccine designed using gene deletion technology to provide protection against African swine fever virus Type II. Its approval for market release comes nearly seven years after the first outbreak of African swine fever in the Philippines in 2019.
Before the outbreak, the Philippines’ national hog inventory stood at approximately 13 million head; it subsequently plummeted to about 8 million head. Outbreaks were reported in 76 of the country’s 82 provinces, with small-scale farmers bearing the brunt of the impact.
The Philippine Secretary of Agriculture stated that the launch of the commercial vaccine is crucial to the pig restocking program. Meanwhile, the Undersecretary for Livestock at the Department of Agriculture has requested a budget of 1 billion pesos for 2027 to subsidize ASF vaccinations for small-scale farmers.
Recent Developments in Global African Swine Fever Vaccine Research and Development
From a global perspective, the research, development, and progress of African swine fever vaccines are advancing steadily across the world. As of August 2026, the global African swine fever vaccine landscape has evolved from “Vietnam’s sole commercial vaccine” to a phase of “multinational competition.”
For example, the recent launch of the Philippines’ first ASF vaccine is not the end of the story. According to the local Ministry of Agriculture, a second ASF vaccine from South Korea is currently undergoing testing and is expected to be approved for market release next year, offering farmers a new option. Furthermore, the Ministry of Agriculture plans to approve three additional ASF vaccines next year—from South Korea, Vietnam, and Thailand—to foster healthy competition.
Additionally, India released its domestically developed MA-104 cell-line vaccine in August 2026; two South Korean products received export licenses in April 2026.
Turning our attention to the domestic market, several companies have made varying degrees of progress in their vaccine R&D efforts.
In May of this year, Bio-Share announced that the clinical trials involving 11,005 pigs and two rounds of challenge tests for the world’s first ASF subunit vaccine it developed had been completed as scheduled. The trial results fully met the evaluation requirements for this clinical trial, and the vaccine’s efficacy was in line with expectations. The vaccine has entered the registration preparation phase and could be approved as early as 2027.
Another domestic company, Harbin Veterinary Research Institute, which is pursuing a gene-deletion attenuated live vaccine approach, received approval to begin clinical trials in early 2020. After six years of R&D and clinical trials, the institute published a paper in *Emerging Microbes & Infections* this past January, confirming that the HLJ/18-7GD strain exhibits good safety profiles in pregnant sows and piglets; in August, the relevant patent was published by the National Intellectual Property Administration.
Disclaimer: Some of the information in this article is sourced from the internet. The sources have been clearly indicated, and copyright belongs to the original authors. The content is provided for readers’ reference only. If the rights of the original authors have been infringed, please contact us promptly via the comments section so we can remove the content!
7,138 ASF Outbreaks Reported Globally from January to August, Resulting in Nearly 350,000 Pig Deaths
According to data from the Bureau of Animal Husbandry and Veterinary Medicine of the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, as of August 28, a cumulative total of 7,138 African swine fever outbreaks had been reported worldwide, resulting in 349,608 wild and domestic pigs dying from infection or being culled.
Globally, according to the international animal disease outbreak report for August 24–28, 132 African swine fever (ASF) outbreaks were reported in eight countries: Hungary, Finland, Poland, Latvia, Estonia, Serbia, South Africa, and Italy. In August, a total of 572 ASF outbreaks were recorded, resulting in the death or culling of 57,778 wild and domestic pigs.
Looking at the monthly trend in outbreaks, ASF cases peaked from January through April, averaging about 1,000 per month; the number dropped to just over 600 in May and June, but rebounded to 827 in July.
Although the number of outbreaks in August decreased slightly, the death toll of nearly 58,000 pigs indicates that ASF remains “rampant.” The number of pigs culled in the first eight months has surged by more than 80% year-over-year compared to the same period last year.
Philippines Begins Sales of First Vietnamese-Made African Swine Fever Vaccine; Plans to Allocate 1 Billion for Subsidies to Small-Scale Farmers Next Year
According to reports from local mainstream media outlets such as the Philippine Business Daily, on September 2, the Philippine Department of Agriculture announced that the Bureau of Animal Industry had officially approved the AVAC ASF LIVE vaccine, developed by Vietnam’s AVAC, for commercial sale.
This is the first African swine fever vaccine in the Philippines to be publicly available for fattening pigs; local farmers can now purchase it directly from veterinary drug retailers certified by the Bureau of Animal Industry.
This vaccine from Vietnam’s AVAC is a freeze-dried, attenuated live vaccine designed using gene deletion technology to provide protection against African swine fever virus Type II. Its approval for market release comes nearly seven years after the first outbreak of African swine fever in the Philippines in 2019.
Before the outbreak, the Philippines’ national hog inventory stood at approximately 13 million head; it subsequently plummeted to about 8 million head. Outbreaks were reported in 76 of the country’s 82 provinces, with small-scale farmers bearing the brunt of the impact.
The Philippine Secretary of Agriculture stated that the launch of the commercial vaccine is crucial to the pig restocking program. Meanwhile, the Undersecretary for Livestock at the Department of Agriculture has requested a budget of 1 billion pesos for 2027 to subsidize ASF vaccinations for small-scale farmers.
Recent Developments in Global African Swine Fever Vaccine Research and Development
From a global perspective, the research, development, and progress of African swine fever vaccines are advancing steadily across the world. As of August 2026, the global African swine fever vaccine landscape has evolved from “Vietnam’s sole commercial vaccine” to a phase of “multinational competition.”
For example, the recent launch of the Philippines’ first ASF vaccine is not the end of the story. According to the local Ministry of Agriculture, a second ASF vaccine from South Korea is currently undergoing testing and is expected to be approved for market release next year, offering farmers a new option. Furthermore, the Ministry of Agriculture plans to approve three additional ASF vaccines next year—from South Korea, Vietnam, and Thailand—to foster healthy competition.
Additionally, India released its domestically developed MA-104 cell-line vaccine in August 2026; two South Korean products received export licenses in April 2026.
Turning our attention to the domestic market, several companies have made varying degrees of progress in their vaccine R&D efforts.
In May of this year, Bio-Share announced that the clinical trials involving 11,005 pigs and two rounds of challenge tests for the world’s first ASF subunit vaccine it developed had been completed as scheduled. The trial results fully met the evaluation requirements for this clinical trial, and the vaccine’s efficacy was in line with expectations. The vaccine has entered the registration preparation phase and could be approved as early as 2027.
Another domestic company, Harbin Veterinary Research Institute, which is pursuing a gene-deletion attenuated live vaccine approach, received approval to begin clinical trials in early 2020. After six years of R&D and clinical trials, the institute published a paper in *Emerging Microbes & Infections* this past January, confirming that the HLJ/18-7GD strain exhibits good safety profiles in pregnant sows and piglets; in August, the relevant patent was published by the National Intellectual Property Administration.
Disclaimer: Some of the information in this article is sourced from the internet. The sources have been clearly indicated, and copyright belongs to the original authors. The content is provided for readers’ reference only. If the rights of the original authors have been infringed, please contact us promptly via the comments section so we can remove the content!