Razi Institute to Produce Newcastle Vaccine

South Korea’s KBNP Company has signed a memorandum of understanding with Razi Vaccine and Serum Research Institute (RVSRI) for joint production of Newcastle Vaccine. 

At the MoU signing ceremony on Saturday, head of the Korean company, Kim Tae-Hwan expressed satisfaction on the joint cooperation between the two sides.”KBNP is the only company in the world which is using reverse genetics technology for production of the vaccine,” he said, IRNA reported. 

Newcastle disease is an infection of domestic poultry and other bird species with virulent Newcastle disease virus (NDV). It is a worldwide problem that presents primarily as an acute respiratory disease, but depression, nervous manifestations, or diarrhea may be the predominant clinical form. 

Exposure of humans to infected birds can cause mild conjunctivitis and influenza-like symptoms, but the NDV otherwise poses no hazard to human health. 

Malaysia and Egypt are two other countries which have been successful in production of effective Newcastle vaccines. Tae-Hwan added that the disease has been eradicated in South Korea after the vaccine production.

KBNP is a manufacturing company specializing in animal health products. “The company produces 80 types of vaccines of which 50% are for poultry and the rest for swine, cattle, domestic animals, aquacultures, and honey bees,” he said.

 RVSRI is known as one of the oldest and most reputed scientific centers in Iran which began its activities in 1925 by producing vaccine against Rinderpest under the supervision of the Ministry of Agriculture. 

Rinderpest at the time had caused large casualties in the cattle population of the country, but Razi institute team rapidly took up the research and produced the Rinderpest vaccine.  The institute located in Karaj, Alborz Province, is supervised by the Ministry of Agriculture Jihad and works closely with the Ministry of Health and Iran Veterinary Organization.