No customer for bird flu vaccine

Bhopal, Feb 24 (UNI) After last year's bird flu outbreak, the High Security Animal Disease Laboratory here has developed a vaccine for H5N1 virus, but nobody has come forward so far for its commercial use or to purchase it, Lab sources said.

After round the clock efforts by the scientists, the laboratory, the only institute of its kind in Asia, had developed about one lakh vials of the vaccine since last July. However, nobody has come forward to use the formula or purchase the vaccine, HSADL Joint Director Dr H K Pradhan said.

He told UNI that at present there was no demand for the vaccine as the country was free from bird flu. In the event of sudden outbreak of the disease, the vaccine could not be made available at short notice as it was a time-consuming work. The available vaccine could be stocked for one year, Dr Pradhan said.

More than 10 lakh poultry were culled in the country after bird flu was detected in Nandurbar district of Maharashtra in February, 2006.

Following recent reports about outbreak of the disease in Pakistan, a strict vigil was being maintained on our western border, official sources said.

UNI