ALTRUGENE BLOG AND NEWS

Earlier this spring, I attended the Wildlife Damage Management Conference in Mississippi—an engaging, informative event that brought together around 70 professionals from state wildlife agencies, academic research groups, and nonprofit organizations. While attendance from federal agencies like the EPA and USDA was limited due to travel restrictions, several USDA researchers presented remotely. Topics ranged from managing African savannah fencing to the development of oral baits for wild boars in the southeastern U.S., offering a broad look at the challenges and innovations shaping this field.

Connecting with Key Voices in Wildlife Fertility Control

One of the most rewarding aspects of the conference was the chance to meet Stephanie Griffin from Humane World for Animals (formerly part of the Humane Society of the U.S.) and the Botstiber Institute for Wildlife Fertility Control. Stephanie was already familiar with Altrugene’s work through past Botstiber webinars, and she expressed strong support for our approach. We discussed next steps for collaboration—including a possible webinar presentation and a meeting with the Botstiber team to explore synergies. Her enthusiasm reinforced how important this conference is as a platform for advancing shared goals in humane population control.

Fielding Feedback on Our Poster Presentation

I presented our poster on using swinepox virus as a vaccine vector for species-specific contraception—work that caught the attention of biologists from North Carolina and Kentucky, both of whom manage wild boar programs. They were particularly interested in the potential for an oral bait formulation, and responded positively to our data showing that our vaccine vector infects porcine cells but not cells from other species. This kind of species targeting is key to our mission.

However, some concerns were raised about vaccine hesitancy among the hunting community. In particular, there is reluctance to hunt animals believed to have been vaccinated, due to perceived risks with meat consumption—even though the USDA presented data indicating wild boar meat is already considered high-risk due to existing zoonotic diseases. 

One useful suggestion was to test the vaccine’s impact on deer and squirrel cell lines, as these species may interact with baits in the wild. We plan to integrate this into our upcoming studies.

Key Insights from Conference Presentations

A recurring theme was the economic burden of wildlife damage, particularly from deer. In Michigan, deer were reported to reduce soybean yields by 30–70%, and are a top pest in cotton fields. Several talks highlighted the need for better deer management strategies—both to reduce crop damage and mitigate the spread of Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD). Given the urgency of this issue, we’ll be discussing internally whether to pursue a deer-specific contraceptive vector, and whether there's a viable path to a CWD vaccine.

We also learned more about non-lethal strategies like immunocontraceptive vaccines (e.g., Zona-Stat H), which are effective but limited by the need for annual boosters. The clear takeaway? There’s an unmet need for a single-dose, long-lasting contraceptive—precisely the problem Altrugene is working to solve.

Looking Ahead

The conference also surfaced potential future collaborators. Sydney Brewer from the Beasley Wildlife Lab at the University of Georgia gave an excellent talk on wild pig baiting strategies, and her lab works closely with Dr. Kim Pepin (USDA) and Kurt VerCauteren, both key figures in feral swine research and disease mitigation. We hope to connect with them soon.

Altrugene is committed to developing science-driven, scalable, and humane solutions to animal overpopulation. If you’re a researcher, policymaker, or partner interested in collaborating, we’d love to hear from you.

The U.S. swine industry, valued at over $20 billion, plays a crucial role in food security and the agricultural economy. However, it faces significant threats from diseases—especially those transmitted by wild pig populations, which are growing rapidly and encroaching on domestic farmland. These threats aren’t just biological—they’re also economic, regulatory, and political.

African Swine Fever: A Looming Threat

The most pressing threat on the radar is African Swine Fever (ASF)—a deadly, highly contagious viral disease affecting domestic and wild pigs. Although ASF has not yet reached the U.S., outbreaks in the Caribbean and parts of Europe and Asia have shown how quickly it can devastate a swine industry. ASF has no vaccine, no treatment, and a mortality rate nearing 100%.

The virus spreads through direct contact, contaminated feed, and even via human clothing and equipment. Its introduction to the U.S. would trigger an immediate halt to pork exports, devastating the industry.

The Role of Wild Pigs

Feral swine, currently estimated to number over 6 million across 35 states, are a major concern for disease transmission. Not only do they serve as reservoirs for pathogens, but their increasing overlap with domestic pig farms heightens the risk of outbreak. Wild pigs also damage crops, infrastructure, and natural ecosystems—costing the U.S. an estimated $2.5 billion annually.

Additional Disease Risks: Brucellosis & Pseudorabies

While ASF garners much of the attention, other diseases remain endemic in wild pig populations:

• Swine Brucellosis (Brucella suis) causes reproductive failures and is zoonotic, meaning it can be transmitted to humans. Though largely eradicated in commercial herds, it persists in feral swine.

• Pseudorabies is another virus under control in the domestic swine industry but still prevalent in wild populations. Though it does not infect humans, it poses a serious risk to pigs and can also affect livestock and pets.

What Can Be Done?

Controlling the spread of disease requires a multi-pronged strategy:

1. Population Control – Reducing feral swine numbers, ideally through fertility control technologies like immunocontraception.

2. Surveillance and Testing – Robust monitoring of wild populations for signs of emerging diseases.

3. Biosecurity Measures – Preventing contact between wild and domestic pigs through fencing, buffer zones, and strict hygiene protocols.

4. Vaccine Development – Continued research into oral vaccines for wild pigs, including multi-purpose formulations that address both fertility and disease immunity.

At Altrugene, we’re working toward dual-purpose vaccines that not only control wild pig populations humanely but also include antigens for key swine diseases—offering an innovative solution to one of agriculture’s most pressing problems.