Chinese scientists have produced a pig species that can resist three major infectious diseases plaguing the animal using gene-editing technology, the Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences said on [September 15].

The species is the only one in the world that can resist porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome virus and transmissible gastroenteritis virus, two highly infectious and lethal viruses that can cause huge losses to pig production, and shows decreased susceptibility to porcine deltacoronavirus, which can result in deadly diarrhea in piglets ….

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Currently there are no safe and effective methods to prevent or control the three diseases.

Last year alone, various types of animal infectious diseases caused hundreds of billions dollars of loss to the pig industry worldwide, the academy said.

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