Scientific Contribution of GLAU Scientists in Prevention and treatment of paratuberculosis disease through Indigenous Johne’s disease Vaccine

In present times our domestic livestock is sick and down with diseases especially chronic and incurable infections like Paratuberculosis (paraTB or pTB)/ Johne’s disease (JD), Brucellosis, bovine Tuberculosis (bTB), etc. In the process, we are losing our precious indigenous (desi) breeds of cows, which have been handed over to us by our forefathers. Once we lose these breeds, the very survival of human civilization on earth may be threatened. In view of the rampant ParaTB infection (or Johne's disease), these cows are off-production and slowly emaciating and are let off by their owners and are forced to roam on the roads. If we do not treat pTB in our domestic livestock, we cannot prevent human pTB infection, since infected animals will continue to shed Mycobacterium avium subspecies paratuberculosis (MAP) bacilli in milk. Since MAP is not killed during the pasteurization of milk, therefore MAP will continue to find its way into the human body by consumption of milk and milk products by the human population and by our children, made from pasteurized milk. Early detection of infection and removal by culling and segregation of infected animals are some of the technologies used to control the disease. However, cows cannot be culled in India for religious reasons; therefore, there is a need for the development of a vaccine. 

Bio-load of MAP in the Indian domestic livestock population has shown an increasing trend in the last 28 years. Of the four domestic livestock species in India, bio-load of MAP has been reported to be highest (16.0–54.7%) in the sheep population, followed by 28.3–48.0% in buffaloes, 6.0–39.3% in cattle, and 9.4–20.1% in goats. Once this disease enters any herd it becomes established and endemic, since MAP is passed from one generation to another through semen, during pregnancy, by feeding of milk and colostrums, and by oral-fecal route from contaminates the environment and enters the human food chain leading to potential public health issues. In severely affected herds, losses are difficult to estimate since animals get culled early on health and production grounds; therefore, there is loss of the elite germ-plasm developed through many years of genetic selection and breed improvement programs. Despite the very high slaughter rate of domestic livestock (goats, sheep, and buffaloes) to meet the ever-growing demand for meat for domestic consumption and export, the bio-incidence of JD continues to increase and has become endemic in several herds in the country. In addition, ‘test and cull’ is not an economically viable option for third-world countries like India. Furthermore, the ‘test and cull’ methodology has not yielded assured results in goats, though still practiced to reduce environmental contamination by removing shedder goats. Similar findings have been reported in other parts of the world with respect to goats, buffaloes, and cattle, where the 'test and cull' methodology has been in use for a long time but was found to be ineffective, therefore switched to vaccination for the control of the disease.

Pic: Collection of pTB samples from goat origin strain of MAP ‘S5’ ‘Indian bison type’ 

Vaccines for pTB disease have been demonstrated and used to control disease and treat infected animals. On using this vaccination, it has been found that this vaccine is more effective than the vaccine imported from outside for the control of this disease in our country. It is safe since being an inactivated vaccine and once applied it provides protection against this disease throughout life. Vaccination has been used for disease control in Britain, Australia, and Iceland, etc. The presence of the disease has come down from 35% to 1%. The effect of this inactivated vaccine of pTB has been seen to be very positive, apart from this, the continuous use of the vaccine is helpful in increasing the immunity of animals and also reduces the bio-load of the environment.

Recently an ‘Indigenous Johne’s Disease Vaccine’ has been developed by Dr. Shoor Vir Singh (Former Principal Scientist and Head, Animal Health, Division, ICAR- Central Institute for Research on Goats, Makhdoom, Mathura) and his team (Dr. Saurabh Gupta and Dr. Kundan Kumar Chaubey) using goat origin strain of MAP ‘S5’ ‘Indian bison type’ for the control of pTB in domestic ruminants (Goat, sheep, cow, and buffaloes). On using this vaccination, it has been found that this vaccine is more effective than the commercially available vaccine imported from other countries. It is safe due to being an inactivated vaccine and once applied provides protection against this disease throughout life.

Pic: Indigenous Johne’s disease Vaccine (left: Dr. Kundan Kumar Chaubey; middle: Prof. Shoorvir Singh; right: Dr. Saurabh Gupta)

Today it is a big question that our cows, which have such an important place, are in danger today, their protection is very important. Now, the Production of Indigenous vaccine is being started in the laboratory in the Center for Cow Science and Research, Department of Biotechnology, under the supervision of Dr. Shoor Vir Singh (Professor and Head, Department of Biotechnology, GLA University, Mathura) and his team (Dr. Saurabh Gupta and Dr. Kundan Kumar Chaubey). This vaccine will prove to be effective in the control of Johne's disease in cows, buffaloes, goats, sheep, and other ruminants and in building up the immunity of the animals. The vaccine prepared by the Indian biotype "MAP 'S5' 'Indian bison type' biotype can eliminate the disease by applying only one vaccine and can double the milk production in cows and milk and meat production in other ruminants.

To save and protect our native breeds of cows, Shri Narayan Das Agrawal, Chairman and Chancellor of GLA University, Mathura took a step ahead. University has provided 18-20 lakh rupees to run this vaccination scheme in a big way. In the next six months, this vaccine will be ready and can be used in cows and other animals. For the prevention of this disease, permission has been given by Shri Krishna Gopal Ji to start the vaccination program from Hasanand Gaushala, Vrindavan, Mathura. Gradually, by spreading this program in the entire Braj Mandal, it will prove to be a milestone in the improvement, conservation, and production of cows. Later the idea is to spread this program all over the state, country, and abroad. This scheme will accomplish the proverb of “Think Globally but Work Locally”. Vaccination should be followed along with other managed improvements to prevent disease transmission in susceptible animals and the human population including little babies and children.