UVAS develops tech for FMD

LAHORE (PR)- The University of Veterinary and Animal Sciences (UVAS) is striving hard to bring solutions to the problems being confronted by the livestock sector by developing technologies.
In this connection, the university has developed a vaccine at its Quality Control Laboratory at Lahore Campus. The lab, established by the Punjab Livestock and Dairy Development (L&DD) Department at a cost of Rs 127 million, aimed at testing livestock and feed for animal origin with reference to Word Trade Organization (WTO). Completed in 2007, hundreds of field samples were tested for detecting quality of animals, fodder/feed for animal origin at the lab. Moreover, the lab has also developed technology for testing chemical adulterants in market milk, isolation and molecular characterization of indigenous pathogens and for production of quality vaccines and immunotherapeutic agents within the country.
Scientists at the UVAS-QCL conducted various research on 'Foot and Mouth Disease (FMD) which is amongst the main obstacles in the development of the industry. The disease is caused by Aphthovirus/FMD virus of picornaviridae. The FMD virus isolates do not grow directly on BHK-21 cell-line but have to pass first on primary monolayer of bovine calf thyroid (BTY) cells. This was not possible on account of lack of facilities in local laboratories. In past Pakistan scientists therefore were used to send samples abroad for the confirmation of serotypes FMD virus but, techniques have been established in UVAS-QCL to isolate and adapt local FMD virus serotypes BTY and then on BHK-21 cell-line.
During 2004-2007, 69 samples from apparently FMD infected cattle and buffaloes of 12 districts of Punjab were collected and processed in the laboratory. Only 42 FMD virus isolates grew very well on BTY and 25 out of 42 grew/adapted on BHK-21 cell line. On account of these achievements, Pakistan will never buy these virus isolates from abroad. These products therefore can be used for production of commercial products or value added products. In the same project, all techniques such as agar gel precipitation (AGPT), Enzyme linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), Complement fixation test (CFT), Serum neutralization (VN) test, Reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) have been established. The BHK-21 cell line adapted FMD virus isolates were serotypes using AGPT, VN, CFT, antigen capture ELISA, and RT-PCR. These isolates were confirmed as serotype 'O' (23 isolates), 'A' (one isolate) and 'Asia-1' (two isolates). These 25 isolates have been coded and transferred to culture bank of the laboratory.
The UVAS has sold more than 50,000 doses to the public and private sector under the registered trademark. Cost of each dose is Rs 25 and each vial of 10 doses is Rs 250.
Cost of one dose of the imported vaccine of the same quality is more than Rs 120 per dose. Experimentally it has been proved that oil based FMD vaccine induces immunity 14 days post-vaccination and lasts for one year.