The Kerala Agricultural University at Mannuthy near Thrissur has developed a new vaccine against Duck Pasteurellosis, a disease popularly called as duck cholera, which causes mass death of ducks due to the bacterium Pasteurellae Multocida.

The vaccine was developed at the Centre for Advanced Studies in Poultry Science of KAU under a project on Productivity Enhancement of Ducks, in collaboration and with the National Agricultural Technology project (NATP). The experimental vaccine, released a few months ago, is now readying for commercial technology transfer to competent veterinary drug manufacturing firms from the government or private sector, Dr. C K Pithambaran, director (Research) of KAU told Pharmabiz.

Sources said in the experimental condition, the vaccinated birds were able to withstand even the challenge of 500 Lethal Dose (LD), and has also shown to be protective against heterologous challenge, with strains from other avian species. The vaccine is advised for 2 to 3 months aged birds. It is advised to vaccinate the birds before the onset of monsoon and have to be repeated yearly with a dosage of 0.5 ml by injecting at the intra muscular route at the breast region. So far, no toxicity of cellulitis is noted on the vaccinated birds. The expected protection period for the vaccine is about nine months, said sources.

The sources explained ducks, which are in peak lay and in its good health conditions, are affected first in a flock by this disease. Because of the sudden death of ducks, farmers also call duck cholera as "attack" as similar to human heart attack.

The project to develop the vaccine was headed by Dr. A Jalaluddin, Centre of Advanced Studies in Poultry Science and Dr. V Jayaprakasan, the Department of Microbiology, College of Veterinary and Animal Sciences, Mannuthy.