African swine fever virus: current state and future perspectives in vaccine and antiviral research

•African swine fever is a highly contagious hemorrhagic disease of pigs for which no effective vaccines are available.•In this review, the overview of attempts to develop a vaccine against ASF was provided.•Several antiviral agents affecting the ASFV life cycle were discussed.•Some perspectives in vaccine development and antiviral research were proposed.

African swine fever (ASF) is among the most significant of swine diseases for which no effective vaccines and antivirals are available. The disease, which is endemic in Africa, was introduced to Trans-Caucasian countries and the Russian Federation in 2007, where it remains prevalent today among domestic pigs and wild boars. Although some measures were implemented, ASF continues to pose a global risk for all countries, and thereby highlighting the importance of vaccine and antiviral research. In this review, an overview of research efforts toward the development of effective vaccines during the past decades is presented. As an alternative to vaccine development, the current state in antiviral research against ASFV is also presented. Finally, future perspectives in vaccine and antiviral research giving emphasis on some strategies that may allow researchers to develop effective countermeasures against ASF are discussed.