Micheal Clements, NAFB News Service

New research published in the Journal of Animal Science and Biotechnology provides insight into the fight against African Swine Fever. The research, a collaborative effort between academia and Natural Biologics, characterized the antiviral effects of individual medium-chain fatty acids and glycerol monolaurate, known as GML, to inhibit ASF in feed. Animal feed and feed ingredients have recently been implicated as potential vectors of transmission and spread of ASF. The study says effective feed mitigation strategies are urgently needed to reduce the risk of transboundary spread and would improve prospects for global pig production. Natural Biologics President Dr. Charles Elrod says, “this research establishes the science behind a viable opportunity to curb disease transmission.” The research found GML not only killed ASF but also exhibited additional mechanisms of antiviral activity, leading to a 99.8 percent reduction in the amount of infective virus. In feed, only GML was able to inactivate ASF, working quickly in as little as 30 minutes.