IVRI researcher develops safer, more effective vaccine against livestock disease

BAREILLY: A research scholar from the city-based Indian Veterinary Research Institute (

IVRI

) has developed a safer, more effective version of the currently available

vaccine

against

brucellosis

, a disease that inflicts 20% of livestock in India.

Brucellosis causes infertility and reproductive disorders among livestock. Pallab Chaudhury, head of the genetic engineering laboratory at IVRI, told TOI, “The disease is caused by the brucella bacteria. It occurs primarily in livestock, including cattle, buffaloes, sheep and goats. Brucellosis can also be transmitted to humans through contaminated milk and unpasteurised dairy products. In humans, it causes fever, headache, joint pain and sweating.”

Chaudhury said the modified version of the vaccine is safer and provides greater immunity against the disease. “This has been proved in a laboratory model. The research scholar who developed the modified version,

Jonathan Lalsiamthara

, was conferred the Jawaharlal Nehru Award for Outstanding Doctoral Thesis Research in Agriculture last month for his work. However, we will continue to pursue research on the vaccine to establish that it can be administered to cattle and buffaloes,” he said.

“Lalsiamthara, who pursued his PhD under my guidance, generated brucella with defective lipopolysaccharide (LPS) through genetic manipulation as part of his research. The modified organism is less virulent than the original bacteria,” said Chaudhury.

Chaudhury said the vaccine available at present is not very safe and cannot be used in adult animals. “A project has been under way at the genetic engineering laboratory for developing a safer and more potent vaccine.
It has been funded by the department of biotechnology.”

Lalsiamthara’s research paper was published in a reputed international journal. He is currently pursuing his post-doctoral research at Chonbuk National University, South Korea. IVRI director R K Singh congratulated Lalsiamthara for upholding the institute’s tradition of excellence by winning the Jawaharlal Nehru award.