LUMPI-PROVAC - SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
News: Centre
signs pact with Pune-based IVBP for commercial production of 'Lumpi-ProVac'
What's in the news?
● The
Government had signed a pact with Pune-based
Institute of Veterinary Biological Products (IVBP) for commercial production of
indigenously developed vaccine 'Lumpi-ProVac' for the control of lumpy skin
disease in cattle on December 31.
● After
signing the memorandum of understanding (MoU), Union Minister of Fisheries,
Animal Husbandry and Dairying Parshottam Rupala asked IVBP to "start
manufacturing the vaccine at large scale without any delay.
● Currently,
the Goat Pox vaccine is used for controlling Lumpy Skin Disease in cattle. This
MoU will also ensure large-scale production of Goat Pox vaccine for future
needs of India's livestock sector.
Key takeaways:
● The
vaccine has been developed by
Haryana-based National Centre for Veterinary Type Culture and ICAR-National
Research Centre on Equines in collaboration with Uttar Pradesh-based
ICAR-Indian Veterinary Research Institute.
● Agrinnovate India Ltd.,
the commercial arm of Department of Agriculture Research and Education under the
aegis of Union Agriculture Ministry, has granted 'non-exclusive rights' for
commercial production of 'Lumpi-ProVac' to IVPB for ten years.
● Lumpi-ProVac
is used for the prophylactic immunization of animals against lumpy skin disease
which gives protection for about one
year.
● The
vaccine is stored at 4 degree celsius
and must be shipped on ice and used within a few hours after reconstitution.
Go back to basics:
Lumpy Skin Disease (LSD):
● According
to a report by GAVI (the Global Alliance for Vaccines and Immunization), the
lumpy skin disease is “an emerging
threat to livestock worldwide”.
● It
is caused by a virus called the Capripoxvirus.
● It
is genetically related to the goatpox
and sheeppox virus family.
Transmission:
● LSD
infects cattle and water buffalo mainly through vectors such as blood-feeding insects such as ticks and mites such as
house flies and mosquitoes.
● It
can also spread through contaminated water, feed, and fodder.
Symptoms:
The
symptoms include
● The
appearance of circular, firm nodes on the animal’s hide or skin that look
similar to lumps.
● LSDV
attacks an animal’s circulatory system,
causing inflammation of blood vessels and lesions in various organs such as the
liver, lungs, spleen, lymph nodes, and so on.
● As
a result, it causes epidermis, which leads to the formation of lumps or nodules
on the body of an animal. Fever, increased mucus secretion, loss of appetite,
and other symptoms may also occur.
● The
combination of the aforementioned factors may result in organ failure and,
eventually, death.
● When
cow's symptoms worsen, they stop producing milk, and pregnant cows miscarry.
● Recently,
several Indian states, including Gujarat and Rajasthan, have been dealing with
an outbreak of LSD.
Is it the first outbreak in India?
● This
is not the first time LSD has been detected in India.
● The
disease has been endemic in most African
countries, and since 2012 it has spread rapidly through the Middle East,
Southeast Europe and West and Central Asia.
Is there any risk for humans?
● The
disease is not zoonotic and does not
spread from animals to humans, and humans cannot get infected with it.
● While
the virus does not spread to humans, “milk produced by an infected animal will
be fit for human consumption after boiling or pasteurization as these processes
will kill the viruses in the milk.