World's first coronavirus vaccine for animals registered in Russia - Rosselkhoznadzor
MOSCOW. March 31 (Interfax) - The world's first coronavirus vaccine for animals has been registered in Russia, deputy head of the Federal Service for Veterinary and Phytosanitary Surveillance (Rosselkhoznadzor) Konstantin Savenkov told the press.
The Carnivac-Cov inactivated sorbed vaccine has been developed by Rosselkhoznadzor's Federal Center for Animal Health. This is the world's first and only coronavirus vaccine for animals, Savenkov said.
The clinical trials that began in October 2020 involved dogs, cats, Arctic foxes, minks, foxes and other animals. "Results of the trials indicate that the vaccine is safe and has a high immunogenic effect, since 100% of animals vaccinated in the course of the trials developed coronavirus antibodies," Savenkov said.
Rosselkhoznadzor scientists continue their research to establish for how long the immunity would last. "Currently, the indicator stands at least at six months. Mass production of the vaccine by the country's biggest platform manufacturing animal drugs, the Federal Center for Animal Health, might begin as early as in April," Savenkov said.
The vaccine is of paramount importance, considering that, according to the World Organization for Animal Health (OIE), certain animals species are susceptible to Covid-19. Infections have been registered in many countries of the world. For instance, last week the OIE received information about three pets diagnosed with the novel coronavirus in Mexico and another one in Italy. A week before that, official sources in Argentina reported the registered infection of four dogs and cats.
There have been two confirmed cat infections in Russia, those in Moscow and Tyumen, to date.
Savenkov recalled massive coronavirus infections at mink farms in 2020. Infections with the mutated virus were recorded at the majority of farms in Denmark, and the Danish authorities approved massive mink slaughters.
There is no scientific proof that the novel coronavirus might be transmitted from animals to humans, he said.
According to Rosselkhoznadzor, the vaccine developed by the Federal Center for Animal Health would be purchased by domestic animal farms and commercial companies from Greece, Poland, and Austria. Companies from the United States, Canada and Singapore have also shown an interest in Carnivac-Cov.