KUCHING: The Sarawak Infectious Disease Centre (SIDC) is partnering with the University of Sheffield in a UK-funded international research project on African swine fever (ASF) in Sarawak, Southeast Asia and Britain.
Led by Prof Peter J Dodd from the University of Sheffield, the project is equipped with a grant of £3.4mil (RM18.35mil) from UK Research and Innovation to tackle biosecurity threats from the ASF virus.
SIDC will work with the University of Sheffield, University of Liverpool and Thailand's National Center for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology, besides collaborating with the state Veterinary Services Department (DVS).
State Deputy Education, Innovation and Talent Development Minister Datuk Dr Annuar Rapaee, who is also SIDC chairman, said the partnership showed SIDC's capability to extend its research beyond Malaysia.
He added that the partnership establishes meaningful collaborations with international universities and contributes to addressing global challenges in infectious diseases.
"It is indeed a significant milestone for Sarawak's research and scientific community," he said in a statement on Thursday (Oct 8).
SIDC chief executive officer Assoc Prof Ivan Yap added that the research grant recognised the scientific capabilities Sarawak had built through the centre.
He also said ASF did not respect borders and that solutions lay in good data shared responsibly between partners.
"By combining genomic sequencing with the experience of our farmers and the expertise in SIDC and DVS Sarawak, we hope to give Sarawak the evidence it needs to protect its pig industry and the communities that depend on it."
The project aims to position SIDC as the regional genomic reference centre for the ASF virus through whole-genome sequencing.
It will also inform SIDC's vaccine strategy, harmonise practices in the region and promote regional collaboration.
The project's ultimate goal is to give farmers, authorities and policymakers practical evidence for managing and controlling ASF.
According to SIDC, ASF is a highly contagious viral disease of domestic pigs and wild boar. Though not a risk to human health, it can wipe out herds and cause hardship to farming communities.
The disease continues to threaten pig farmers in Sarawak and Southeast Asia, where important gaps remain about the virus' genetic diversity and how it evolves and spreads.
