THE AFRICAN SWINE FEVER VIRUS (ASFV) IS A COMPLEX HIGH-CONSEQUENCE TRANSBOUNDARY ANIMAL DISEASE PATHOGEN THAT POSES REAL DANGER TO THE SWINE INDUSTRY AND IT HAS BEEN IDENTIFIED AS A HIGH PRIORITY NATIONAL FOOD SECURITY THREAT BY USDA, DHS, AND THE NATIONAL PORK BOARD. THE TREND IN GLOBAL OUTBREAKS, INCLUDING ONGOING SPREAD IN EASTERN EUROPE, RUSSIA, CHINA, AND VIETNAM, SHOWS THAT ASFV IS INCREASINGLY BECOMING A GLOBAL THREAT TO THE SWINE INDUSTRY. THE U.S.A IS A MAJOR PORK EXPORTER AND IS THUS A MAJOR SOURCE OF FOOD, REVENUE, AND EMPLOYMENT. NOTABLY, THE U.S.A HAS A LARGE UNCONTROLLED POPULATION OF FERAL PIGS IN MORE THAN FORTY STATES THAT CAN BECOME A RESERVOIR AS IT HAPPENED IN WILD BOARS IN EUROPE AND RUSSIA. THERE IS NO VACCINE OR TREATMENT AVAILABLE FOR CONTROLLING THIS DISEASE AND THEREFORE, DEVELOPMENT OF AN EFFECTIVE AND SAFE VACCINE IS NECESSARY FOR USE IN CASE THERE IS AN OUTBREAK IN NORTH AMERICA.PROTECTION AGAINST THE ASFV CAN BE STIMULATED WITH A VACCINE SINCE PIGS THAT RECOVER FROM INFECTION WITH ATTENUATED ISOLATES ARE PROTECTED AGAINST CLOSELY RELATED ISOLATES THAT CAUSE DISEASE. DUE TO SAFETY CONCERNS, DEVELOPMENT OF A VACCINE BASED ON CAREFULLY SELECTED VIRUS PROTEINS, AS OPPOSED TO AN ATTENUATED LIVE VIRUS VACCINE, IS MORE ATTRACTIVE FOR USE IN U.S.A SINCE THE VIRUS IS NOT PRESENT IN NORTH AMERICA. HOWEVER, SUITABLE VACCINE CANDIDATE PROTEINS AND AN EFFECTIVE WAY FOR IMMUNIZING PIGS ARE YET TO BE IDENTIFIED. CANDIDATE VACCINES BASED ON A FEW VIRUS PROTEINS HAVE FAILED TO STIMULATE ACCEPTABLE PROTECTION. WE ENVISAGED THAT DEVELOPMENT OF AN EFFECTIVE VACCINE WILL REQUIRE IDENTIFICATION AND VALIDATION OF MULTIPLE SUITABLE CANDIDATE PROTEINS THAT WILL INDUCE SIGNIFICANT PROTECTION IN MAJORITY OF THE VACCINATED PIGS.WE HAVE DEVELOPED RATIONALLY DESIGNED ASFV VACCINE CANDIDATES AND THE GOAL OF THE CURRENT PROJECT IS TO DETERMINE WHETHER THE CANDIDATES CAN PROTECT COMMERCIAL PIGS AND WILD BOARS AGAINST THE VIRUS. WE WILL ALSO DEVELOP A HIGHLY SENSITIVEDIAGNOSTIC TOOL THAT WILL ALLOW DIFFERENTIATION OF INFECTED FROM VACCINATED ANIMALS. THE STUDY WILL BE CONDUCTED BY IMMUNIZING COMMERCIAL PIGS OR WILD BOARS WITH THE CANDIDATE VACCINES. NA&IUML;VE ANIMALS WILL SERVE AS NEGATIVE CONTROLS. THE ANIMALS WILL BE CHALLENGED WITH A LETHAL DOSE OF THE VIRUS TO EVALUATE PROTECTION. DEVELOPMENT OF AN EFFECTIVE VACCINE IS CRITICAL FOR THE CONTAINMENT OF AN ASFV OUTBREAK AND SAFEGUARDING OF THE U.S.A PIG INDUSTRY. IN ADDITION, SUCH A VACCINE WILL PLAY A CRITICAL ROLE IN CONTROLLING GLOBAL SPREAD OF THE VIRUS AND REDUCE OUTBREAKS IN ENDEMIC REGIONS.