Indian Immunologicals Limited (IIL), a leading vaccine manufacturer, organized a nationwide free vaccination camp against zoonotic diseases.
On July 6, which is observed as ‘World Zoonosis Day’, many veterinary dispensaries, NGOs and veterinarians across the country conducted Rabies awareness camps with the help of IIL. To create awareness on many zoonotic diseases, IIL conducted free vaccination camps to administer more than one lakh doses of anti-Rabies vaccine Raksharab in as many as 100 centres across the country through veterinary dispensaries, NGOs etc.
Diseases that transmit from animals to human beings are called zoonotic diseases. As much as 70% of all emerging diseases such as Rabies, Swine Flu, Brucellosis, Leptospirosis, Porcine Cysticercosis, Nipah, Zika, etc. that affect humans are zoonotic in nature.
In India, occurrence of Rabies is prevalent and accounts for more than 90% of all zoonotic cases reported in the country. India accounts for a significant number of Rabies deaths reported worldwide. The economic cost of dog mediated Rabies has been estimated to be US$ 8.6 billion.
“The high incidence of Rabies in India is due to large wandering dog population in India. There are several reasons for the high incidence including poor vaccination. Prophylaxis through vaccination is the most cost-effective intervention to reduce incidence of disease. Several countries have been able to reduce the number of Rabies related human deaths through vaccination of dogs,” the company stated.
Awareness, accurate diagnosis, improvement in sanitary conditions, prophylactic vaccination are all measures that need to be taken to restrain/eradicate spread, it added.
Speaking on the occasion of Zoonosis Day, K Anand Kumar, managing director at Indian Immunologicals Limited said: “It is the commitment of IIL as a truly One Health company to play a significant role in providing cost effective tools for the control of various zoonotic diseases in the country including Rabies. Apart from its flagship ‘anti-Rabies vaccine’, Indian Immunologicals has a range of vaccines for prevention of such zoonotic diseases such as Brucellosis, Leptospirosis etc and will be rolling out human vaccines against Dengue, Chikungunya, Zika etc. The new addition in its range is the COVID-19 vaccine which is expected to start its human trials soon.”
Indian Immunologicals Limited, a subsidiary company of National Dairy Development Board, is leading biologicals manufacturer. Indian Immunologicals continues to be a leading manufacturer of animal Rabies vaccine, Raksharab, and human Rabies vaccine, Abhayrab, in the country.
