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Anti-Rabies Vaccine Production Starts in Nepal

Posted on: Saturday, 28 January 2006, 09:00 CST

Anti-rabies vaccine production starts in Nepal

KATHMANDU, Jan. 27 (Xinhua) -- Nepal has started the successful production of anti-rabies vaccine used for the control and treatment of rabies for the first time. Rabies is caused by mad dog bite and the bite of other animals.

The vaccine developed under the joint effort of the Livestock Health Directorate Rabies Vaccine Production Laboratory and Japan International Cooperation Agency Nepal is said to be safer and of higher quality compared to the anti-rabies vaccine produced traditionally out of the brain of sheep.

Launching the vaccine amid a function held here Friday, Minister for Agriculture and Cooperatives Keshar Bahadur Bishta said that the Nepali government is committed to provide cooperation for carrying out more researches in the field of livestock health in the country.

Assistant Minister for Agriculture and Cooperatives Govinda Chaudhari said the development of new technology in the production of anti-rabies vaccine in the country will be fruitful in controlling rabies.

Senior veterinarian Jagannath Rai, who is one of the team members involved in the development of the vaccine, said that the vaccine, which is used in animals at present, could be produced intending for use in humans too provided that some necessary equipment are made available.

More than 30 million Nepali rupees (428,571 US dollars) could be saved from being drained out to foreign countries, and life of about 200 persons protected from rabies every year in the country following the production of the vaccine, it was informed on the occasion.

Some 30,000 doses of the vaccine have been manufactured in the first phase, it was said.

Source: Xinhua News Agency - CEIS

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