Comments
In a major development, Indian Immunological Limiited (IIL) has launched Cysvax, a vaccine to combat tapeworms in pigs. A significant added benefit of the vaccine is its potential to help reduce the incidence of epilepsy in humans.
The Hyderabad-based, IIL is a market leader in veterinary biologicals and a big player in the animal and human healthcare sector in the country. Cysvax, a recombinant porcine (Pigs) Cysticercosis Vaccine, is the first in the world to fight tapeworms in pigs, the company claimed.
Cysticercosis is a parasitic disease caused by ingesting the eggs of the pork tapeworm named Taenia solium . It is a zoonotic parasite involving pigs as intermediate hosts. Humans are usually infected by the accidental consumption of eggs present in the under-cooked pork, vegetables and greens that have been improperly washed.
The consequent cysts that develop in the central nervous system cause Neuro-cysticercosis, which is considered to be one of the important reasons for epilepsy in humans.
According to reports open defecation and unhygienic pig rearing are the primary breeding grounds for tapeworms . Cases of Cysticercosis have been found to occur across India, particularly in North Uttar Pradesh and North-Eastern states. If implemented well, the ongoing Swaach Bharat programme can substantially help in cutting down the risk of the problems across the country.
Prevalence of porcine Cysticercosis as reported from data obtained from slaughterhouse ranges from 7-12 per cent in all pigs. A recent study in UP reported a prevalence of 26 per cent in pigs.
Highly neglected WHO has designated Cysticercosis as one of the 17 “Neglected tropical diseases” worldwide, IIL said in a statement.
The Life cycle of a tapeworm is dependent on the link between humans and pigs. Any interruption in this link can result in the elimination of the parasite. Vaccination of pigs can break the parasite's life-cycle and enable in removing the source of infection for humans, explained K Anand Kumar, Managing Director.
In a collaborative effort, the IIL researchers worked with Marshall Lightowlers, University of Melbourne, Australia and GALVmed (Global Alliance for Veterinary medicine) to develop the Cysvax vaccine against pork tapeworm. The Hyderabad Laboratory obtained license to manufacture and market this product after conducting extensive field trials in India and many other countries such as Spain, Peru etc, he said
Trials are also underway in Nepal, Zambia, Uganda and Tanzania, where the prevalence is reported. IIL is a wholly owned subsidiary of the National Dairy Development Board (NDDB).
Comments
COMMENT NOW
Comments
Comments have to be in English, and in full sentences. They cannot be abusive or personal. Please abide by our community guidelines for posting your comments.
We have migrated to a new commenting platform. If you are already a registered user of TheHindu Businessline and logged in, you may continue to engage with our articles. If you do not have an account please register and login to post comments. Users can access their older comments by logging into their accounts on Vuukle.