Hyd-based IIL launches goat pox vaccine; small animal farmers to benefit

Hyderabad: The city-based Indian Immunologicals Limited (IIL), a leading vaccine manufacturer, has launched a goat pox vaccine, Raksha Goat Pox, for the significant goat population in the country.

Raksha Goat Pox is expected to help control goat pox in the country which has high economic importance among the country's rural livestock growers, IIL said.

India has about 150 million goat population and this disease is endemic in many parts of Asia, Africa, and the Middle East. Goat pox is highly contagious and spreads through aerosol, contact, and also through vectors such as flies. Goats of all ages, breeds, and sex are affected but the disease is very severe in young, old, and lactating animals.

The disease is characterized by high fever, generalized nodules/papules over the skin, face, mucus membranes of the mouth, conjunctiva, nasal cavities, severe internal lesions (lungs, reproductive, and digestive tracts), and finally results in death in many cases.

The prevalence rate of goat pox varies according to agroclimatic zones and maybe up to 48% in certain parts, according to a study. The morbidity of goat pox may be up to 100% and the mortality up to 85% thus causing huge losses to small animal farmers or livestock growers.

IIL's Raksha Goat Pox vaccine is a live attenuated vaccine IP (Uttarkashi strain) grown on vero cell culture. The primary vaccination is to be done at three months of age and revaccination annually with a dose rate of 1 ml, to be administered subcutaneously.

The technology for vaccine manufacturing and testing of the goat pox vaccine was obtained from the Indian Council of Agriculture Research-Indian Veterinary Research Institute (ICAR- IVRI), the government of India, and has been tested and certified by IVRI for commercial release.