First homegrown Covid-19 vaccine for animals
GS Paper - 3 (Health and Diseases)
Agriculture Minister Narendra Singh Tomar launched the very first homegrown Covid-19 vaccine Anocovax for animals. The new vaccine for animals Anocovax has been developed by the Haryana-based agri-research institute ICAR-National Research Centre on Equines (NRC). Additionally, the minister launched the 'CAN-CoV-2 ELISA kit', a sensitive and specific nucleocapsid protein-based indirect ELISA kit, for antibody detection against SARS-CoV-2 in canines.
What is Anocovax?
- Anocovax is an inactivated SARS-CoV-2 Delta Covid-19 vaccine for animals.
- The Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) said that the immunity induced by Anocovax neutralises both Delta and Omicron variants of SARS-CoV-2.
- The new vaccine contains inactivated SARS-CoV-2 (Delta) antigen with Alhydrogel as an adjuvant. It is safe for dogs, lions, leopards, mice and rabbits.
What is ELISA kit
- As of now, there are no laboratory animals required for the preparation of the antigens. The kit is made in India and a patent has been filed for the same.
- No other comparable kits for detection of antibodies in canines are available in the market.
- Surra ELISA kit, a suitable diagnostic assay for 'Trypanosoma evansi' infection in multiple animal species, was also launched.
- It is important to note that Surra is one of the most important haemoprotozoan diseases of the different livestock species caused by Trypanosoma evansi.
- The disease is prevalent in all the agro-climatic parts of India. In India, losses to livestock productivity were estimated to be ₹44,740 million annually due to Surra.
