Today's Edition
CANBERRA (ALETIHAD)
A team of scientists in New South Wales has developed the world’s first mRNA vaccine designed to protect livestock from foot-and-mouth disease (FMD), a highly contagious viral illness that poses a major threat to cattle.
The FMD vaccine is an mRNA vaccine that is unique because it is fully synthetic, making it safer and much faster to produce.
The development of this new vaccine is part of the Minns Government’s $1 billion biosecurity plan, aimed at safeguarding New South Wales’ $8 billion livestock sector and reinforcing national food security.
The vaccine has taken less than 18 months to develop and has cost about $2.5 million.
FMD is a highly infectious viral disease that affects cattle, sheep, goats, and pigs. It remains widespread globally and is endemic in many countries, particularly in Africa, Asia, and the Middle East.
In overseas trials of the new vaccine, innoculated cattle exposed to the virus did not contract the disease, and importantly, did not shed the virus to infect others.
