（Picture Source:Sogou）

Now, Chinese scientists have taken the first big step in solving the problem of swine fever virus in Africa, and we have begun to have a preliminary understanding of the opponent who has been bothering mankind for more than 100 years. I believe that in the short future, we can completely overcome it and achieve true pork freedom. "I also believe that under the great importance attached by the state and under the strong leadership of the Ministry of Agriculture and Countryside, it will certainly be prevented and controlled in the future, absolutely not 33 years," Bu Zhigao said at the press conference. "I believe we will achieve great results in the next few years."

African swine fever is an acute, strong and highly contagious disease caused by African swine fever virus, which seriously endangers the global pig industry. China lists African swine fever as a kind of animal epidemic, which is a strong foreign epidemic. Its virulent strain has a high mortality rate of 100%, no specific drugs and no vaccine, so once it is found that it must be culled and harmless. Since the first outbreak of swine fever in China in August 2018, the virus has quickly spread to most parts of the country, causing huge economic losses. China is the largest pork producer and consumer in the world, and the pig industry is developing in the national economy. The people play an irreplaceable role in the lives of the masses. In the absence of vaccines and other treatments, killing pigs is the most effective way to control the epidemic, and more than 30 million pigs have been culled between 2018 and 2019. It is estimated that the African swine fever epidemic has caused 2 billion dollars in economic losses to the pig industry around the world.

Chinese scientists have analyzed the fine three-dimensional structure of African swine fever virus particles that are bothering countries for the first time, the Chinese Academy of Sciences and the Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences announced on October 18. This achievement will have an important impact on the prevention and control of swine fever in Africa. Scientists have found that the African swine fever virus is a "big man" and is the largest virus particle to analyze the near-atomic resolution structure. Chen Xinwen, president of Guangzhou Institute of Biomedicine and Health, Chinese Academy of Sciences, commented, "this is an iconic achievement in the field of virology."

Bu Zhigao, director of Harbin Veterinary Research Institute of the Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences and a top expert in the field of animal disease prevention and control, called the African swine fever virus an "awe-inspiring opponent." In order to overcome this problem, Rao Zihe, Wang Xiangxi team and Bu Zhigao team of Harbin Veterinary Research Institute of the Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, together with Shanghai University of Science and Technology, Tsinghua University, Institute of Microbiology of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan Institute of Virology, Nankai University and other units, began basic scientific research on African swine fever virus particles and related antigen molecules in December 2018. Clinical detection and high efficiency vaccine and other aspects of joint research. Finally, in the early hours of October 18, Beijing time, the team's first achievement was published in the top international academic journal Science: < Architecture of African Swine Fever Virus and implications for viral assembly >.

At a news conference, Wang Xiangxi said: "African swine fever is a world problem with a popular history of nearly a hundred years. It was first confirmed in Kenya in 1921, entered Europe in the middle of the 20th century, entered Spain in 1978, and Spain took 33 years to destroy it. This is a protracted war." Although there is still no effective vaccine for the prevention and control of swine fever in Africa, Bu Zhigao said, "China will certainly prevent and control it in the future, definitely not for more than 30 years. I believe we will achieve great results in the next few years." At the same time, he sees the current work as "the first step in the long march," and "so far our vaccine has been obtained." There's progress, but it's a great difference to a better vaccine from a more perfect vaccine. The "A step-by-step representation of the virus structure that has been resolved" has provided us with a good lead ". Wang Xiangxi said at the press conference that scientists are currently very limited to the African swine fever virus." that the scientists do not know the life cycle of the virus, and do not know what the mechanism of the immune response of the body after the virus infection is, the coevolutionary law of the virus is not known, and it is not even known what the virus is, what proteins are included, What is the effect of these proteins? "It's because the scientists are facing this." 's opponents" to the present mystique, prevention and control Always challenging.