Combating the spread of the African Swine Fever Virus (ASFV) is currently a top priority worldwide. The spread of the virus poses a serious challenge to pig production, with the threat of major losses. Outbreaks and cases have been reported on five continents and in 35 countries so far, and the virus is spreading further. The virus can be transmitted in a number of ways, including infected animals, equipment, human traffic and swill feeding. While the possibility of infection through feed is low, it cannot be excluded entirely. The virus is stable for up to 30 days in some feed materials and can be transmitted via mash and pelleted compound feed as well as certain feed additives. Dr. Eckel’s newest phytogenic innovation Anta®Shield has been created to close this gap in the existing biosecurity measures.
Proprietary plant extract combination shows high effectivity
Anta®Shield makes use of powerful bioactive plant metabolites, including those derived from hops, which have been cultivated for thousands of years for the very purpose of safeguarding food from pathogens. Since the ASFV is an enveloped virus with an outer glycoprotein layer, we tested plant extracts that are known to destabilise biomembranes of gram-positive bacteria for their effect on ASF infectivity in pig feed. The result: 100 times less infectivity with Anta®Shield after 24 hours (fig. 1). The plant extracts were more effective than an organic acid treatment, while the final formulation of Anta®Shield showed the best effect overall, proving the synergism of the chosen active principles.
Fig. 1: Effect of selected plant extracts and the final formulation of Anta®Shield on viral infectivity in pig feed compared to an organic acid product (Terhorst et al., 2022)
Protect your feed naturally
For your feed, choose the protection that is best to keep animals, food and the environment safe. Dr. Eckel’s Anta®Shield is an all-natural, non-chemical feed formulation with highly active ingredients that have been shown to work against viruses in feed. With this solution made entirely from natural ingredients, you can safeguard both your animals and your profit.