Indian Immunologicals Limited (IIL) has organised a nationwide free vaccination camp against zoonotic diseases on the World Zoonosis Day and administered more than one lakh doses of Raksharab, an anti-rabies vaccine produced by IIL in as many as 100 centres across the country .

“`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 the dreaded Rabies,’’ K Anand Kumar, Managing Director, Indian Immunologicals Limited, said in a release.

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“Apart from its flagship ‘anti-Rabies vaccine’, IIL 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,’’ he added.

Diseases that transmit from animals to human beings are called Zoonotic diseases. About 70 per cent 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 per cent 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 $8.6 billion.

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