In a first, India on Thursday launched the country’s first home-grown Covid-19 vaccine Anocovax for animals, developed by Haryana-based ICAR-National Research Centre on Equines (NRC).
While there have been several debates over the passing of the virus to animals, several studies have shown that Covid-19 can spread from people to animals during close contact. Pets worldwide, including cats and dogs, have been infected with the virus that causes Covid-19, mostly after close contact with people with coronavirus.
Pets infected with this virus may or may not get sick. Of the pets that have gotten sick, most only had mild illness and fully recovered. Serious illness in pets is extremely rare.
In this context, the news of the vaccine is likely to bring some cheer to pet owners, especially at a time when Covid-19 cases are on the rise once again.
News18 takes a look at the vaccine:
- Anocovax is a SARS-CoV-2 Delta (COVID-19) vaccine for animals that is inactivated.
- According to the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR), the immunity elicited by Anocovax neutralises both the Delta and Omicron versions of SARS-CoV-2.
- The vaccine contains inactivated SARS-CoV-2 (Delta) antigen with Alhydrogel as an adjuvant.
- It is safe for dogs, lions, leopards, mice, and rabbits.
- A kit has been developed to detect the antibody in animals against SARS-CoV-2. CAN-CoV-2 ELISA kit is a sensitive and specific nucleocapsid protein-based indirect ELISA kit.
What is the deal with animals and Covid-19?
A latest study by University of Florida scientists says they found evidence that some coronaviruses previously known to infect only animals have crossed the species barrier, spreading from pigs and dogs to people.
In both studies, the children and adults infected with the animal viruses reported fever and mild illness, suggesting that the strains do not pose a major human health threat. But the potential for new strains to develop or acquire the genes needed to cause severe illness in people is a concern.
Though scientists have found SARS-CoV-2 in 29 kinds of animals, including white-tailed deer, cats, dogs, ferrets, mice, otters and tigers, in most cases the animals have not been shown to spread the virus to people. In November 2020, scientists found that minks have spread the virus to people, and a Canadian study that has yet to be published in a peer-reviewed journal reported identifying one case of deer-to-human transmission of SARS-CoV-2.
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