6 days ago
Assam college develops ASF rapid detection kit
Guwahati: The College of Veterinary Science (CVSc) under Assam Agricultural University (AAU) in Khanapara has achieved a significant breakthrough in veterinary diagnostics by developing a rapid detection kit for African Swine Fever (ASF), a devastating disease that has plagued the region's pig farming industry since 2020.
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Head of veterinary microbiology at CVSc, Narendra Nath Barman, said, "The innovative ASF virus antigen detection kit represents a major advancement in field-level veterinary diagnostics, capable of detecting the virus in pig samples within minutes."
This development comes as a crucial tool for farmers and veterinarians who have struggled with the disease that kill pigs within 48 hours after being infected. It was first detected in Arunachal Pradesh in 2020 during the covid-19 lockdown.
The initial study on the virus was funded by govt of India's department of biotechnology.
"This rapid detection kit is a game-changer for our pig farming community as traditional laboratory testing often takes days. This tool provides immediate results, enabling farmers to take swift action to prevent the spread of the disease," Barman added.
Barman said ASF virus antigen detection kits are very easy to use, a single drop of a pig's blood is needed to be dropped on the testing kit and if two lines appear on the kit then it is considered to be ASF positive.
The ASF is not a zoonotic disease, it can only spread across animals, so humans have no threat from it.
"Building on this success, AAU is now developing an even more comprehensive solution — a Lab-in-a-Suitcase — that will have an inbuilt battery for power supply. This will help detect multiple important pig diseases on-site," said Barman.
The development has been made possible through collaboration with GeNext Genomics Pvt. Ltd, bringing together academic expertise and commercial innovation. This partnership has accelerated the translation of research into practical, market-ready solutions.
