Indian Immunologicals holds free animal vaccination camps

Narayanaguda: Indian Immunologicals Limited (IIL) on Friday organised free Vaccination Camps at Government Veterinary Hospital, Narayanaguda and also over 100 centres across the country. Diseases that transmit from animals to human beings are called zoonotic diseases. 70 per cent of all emerging diseases 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 more a significant number of rabies deaths reported worldwide. The economic cost of dog mediated rabies has been estimated to be $ 8.6 billion. The high incidence of rabies in India is due to large uncontrolled stray dog population in India. Stray dogs account for nearly 80 per cent of the canine population in India.

IIL is a “One Health” company providing world class vaccines for the control of various zoonotic diseases. Every year July 6 is observed as - “Zoonosis Day” and many veterinary dispensaries, NGOs and veterinarians across the country conduct rabies awareness camps with the help of IIL. More than 1 lakh doses of RAKSHARAB (anti-rabies vaccine produced by IIL) is administered free of cost in as many as 100 centres across the country.

Other zoonotic diseases such as Brucellosis, Leptospirosis, Swine Flu, Porcine Cysticercosis, Nipah, Zika etc. also affect human beings. Awareness, accurate diagnosis, improvement in sanitary conditions, prophylactic vaccination are all measures that need to be taken to restrain/eradicate spread.

Speaking on World Zoonosis Day, Dr K Anand Kumar, Managing Director, Indian Immunologicals Limited, said, “IIL is One Health company, playing a significant role in providing cost effective tools for the control of various zoonotic diseases in the country including the dreaded rabies. Working with various other stake holders including the common public, IIL is determined to eradicate disease.”