Vijayawada: In a major leap for animal health and dairy sustainability, Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu launched BIOLUMPIVAXIN — the world’s first DIVA-compliant (Differentiating Infected from Vaccinated Animals) vaccine for Lumpy Skin Disease (LSD) — at the Livestock Prosperity Conclave in Vijayawada.
Developed indigenously by ICAR-IVRI, Izzatnagar and ICAR-NRCE, Hisar, and commercialized by Biovet, a subsidiary of Bharat Biotech, BIOLUMPIVAXIN represents a critical tool in protecting India’s cattle and buffaloes against the economically devastating LSD outbreaks.
“This vaccine marks a significant step toward our goal of achieving 20% livestock growth and a disease-resilient dairy economy,” said CM Naidu.
India’s First Indigenous DIVA Marker Vaccine for LSD
BIOLUMPIVAXIN is a live-attenuated LSD vaccine that uses a virus strain isolated in India (LSD virus strain/Ranchi/2019). It has been thoroughly tested for safety, efficacy, and stability by ICAR institutions and approved by the Central Drugs Standard Control Organisation (CDSCO).
The vaccine’s DIVA technology allows for precise disease monitoring by differentiating between naturally infected and vaccinated animals — a breakthrough in livestock epidemiology and control strategy.
“BIOLUMPIVAXIN is a Make-in-India milestone in veterinary science. We are proud to contribute to Atmanirbhar Bharat by ensuring livestock health and dairy sustainability,” said Dr. Krishna Ella, Founder of Biovet and Executive Chairman of Bharat Biotech.
Key Features of BIOLUMPIVAXIN:
- Single annual dose for cattle/buffaloes aged 3+ months
- Available in multi-dose vials (25 to 100 doses)
- Stable at 2–8°C storage conditions
- Manufactured at Biovet’s facility in Bengaluru with 500 million dose capacity per year
A Vaccine Backed by Science and Urgency
The vaccine was the result of over three years of research led by Dr. Naveen Kumar (now Director, NIV Pune) and guided by Dr. B.N. Tripathi (Vice Chancellor, SKUAST Jammu), with critical contributions from ICAR scientists.
India witnessed severe LSD outbreaks in 2019 and 2022, which killed over 200,000 cattle and drastically reduced milk production. The disease causes painful skin lesions, high fever, and often leads to fatalities, contaminating the milk supply and causing large-scale losses in rural economies.
Strategic Role in India’s Livestock Growth Story
As livestock now contributes 30% of India’s agriculture and allied GVA, up from 24.36% a decade ago, health security is central to sustaining dairy growth. CM Naidu reiterated that BIOLUMPIVAXIN will play a transformative role in reaching AP’s 2025 target of ₹1.95 lakh crore in livestock GSDP.
