Bio Pharma Vet Participates in the Global African Swine Fever Research Alliance (GARA) Scientific Meeting 2025
African Swine Fever (ASF) poses a major agricultural threat to global food supply. According to the World Organisation for Animal Health (WOAH), since January 2022, ASF has been detected in over 60 countries across Africa, Europe, Asia, and the Americas, resulting in the death of more than two million animals. Among these, 12 countries reported ASF cases for the first time. The outbreaks have caused significant economic losses for farmers and producers, not only due to the disease’s high fatality rate but also because of the stringent control measures implemented to contain its spread. As the global food system becomes increasingly interconnected, ASF has the potential to disrupt the global pork supply chain and threaten food security.
From April 29 to 30, 2025, Bio Pharma Vet participated in the Global African Swine Fever Research Alliance (GARA) Scientific Meeting, co-hosted by CRDF Global and the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) in Rome, Italy. The conference brought together more than 160 experts from 42 countries to discuss the latest scientific advancements in the prevention, detection, and control of ASF. Over three days, attendees heard from more than 40 oral presenters and nearly 70 poster exhibitors, covering cutting-edge research in ASF epidemiology, virology, diagnostics, immunology, and vaccine development.
Since 2019, BIOPHARMAVET has been actively involved in ASF prevention and control efforts in China. The company established the DTD (Diagnosis To Doors) ASF service system and has accumulated extensive experience in farm biosecurity management, precise virus elimination, and “double-negative” restocking strategies. In response to the evolving nature of ASF in recent years, BIOPHARMAVET has developed the PST (Pen-Side Testing) system, which includes ASF antigen-antibody rapid test kits and portable qPCR devices. PST technology enables early virus detection and timely elimination, making it a more effective tool for pathogen control.
During the conference, Dr. Lai Zhi engaged with international scholars on ASF diagnostic techniques, biosecurity system design, precise virus clearance, and double-negative restocking. His insights and contributions were widely recognized and appreciated by global peers.
CRDF Global supported the event through end-to-end coordination, communication management, travel, and logistics, successfully convening leading ASF experts from around the world. The goal was to share the latest scientific findings, identify knowledge gaps, and establish research priorities that will strengthen international collaboration in the fight against this devastating disease.
(Dr. Lai Zhi, third row, fifth from the left in the group photo at GARA 2025, Rome, Italy.)
The GARA 2025 Scientific Meeting offered a systematic approach to ASF prevention and control by integrating epidemiological data, innovative diagnostic technologies, and biosecurity strategies. BIOPHARMAVET’s DTD service system and PST technology framework — built around the principles of "early detection, precise elimination, and stable restocking" — contributed valuable insights and practical solutions from the East to the global ASF response. The growing consensus on shared research priorities and knowledge exchange among international experts is moving ASF control efforts from regional responses toward global coordination.