Scientists rush to create vaccine for world's biggest animal disease outbreak

Tackling African swine fever - which has led to death of more than 100m pigs since 2018 - has proved a tougher challenge than scientists first thoughtTucked between motorways in the west of the city, the drab brick building belonging to Madrid's Complutense University stretches the length of a football pitch. Inside, a series of sterile laboratories - capable of handling the world's most dangerous pathogens - can be found along a brightly lit hallway. This is the frontline of the EU's battle against another, albeit lesser-known, global pandemic: the highly infectious African swine fever (ASF), which has swept through dozens of countries, forcing farms to cull millions of animals. Continue reading...