World Zoonosis Day | Indian Immunologicals launches nationwide anti-rabies vaccine drive

World Zoonosis Day is observed annually on July 6 to commemorate the first immunisation against a zoonotic illness

Indian Immunologicals Limited (IIL) on Wednesday organised a nationwide free vaccination camp against zoonotic diseases on account of World Zoonosis Day 2022. 

Diseases that transmit from animals to human beings are called zoonotic diseases and the day is observed annually on July 6 to commemorate the first immunisation against a zoonotic illness. 

“Today, we administered 1 lakh doses of Raksharab and Starvac R (Anti-rabies vaccines of IIL) free of cost, to realize the vision of ‘One health’, a collaborative effort towards optimal health for humans and animals through innovative healthcare products,” Dr. K. Anand Kumar, Managing Director, Indian Immunologicals Limited. 

The drive was launched at Government Superspeciality Veterinary Hospital, Narayanguda. 

A recent report from the State of the World’s Forests 2022 predicts India as a potential hotspot for zoonotic viral diseases. About 70% of all emerging diseases such as rabies, swine flu, nipah, brucellosis, leptospirosis, porcine cysticercosis and zika that affect humans are zoonotic in nature. 

In their fight against the spread of such zoonotic viruses, IIL’s vaccination camp was escalated to 100 cities across the country through veterinary dispensaries, veterinary colleges and NGOs.

Zoonotic diseases such as rabies have imperilled human health since antiquity. Dogs are the source of most human rabies deaths, contributing up to 99% of all rabies transmissions to humans, and every year it causes 18,000 to 20,000 deaths.