MAFSU still awaits One Health Centre for Wildlife Zoonotic Diseases

Staff Reporter

Maharashtra Animal and Fishery Sciences University (MAFSU) is waiting to get One Health Centre for Wildlife Zoonotic Diseases, the proposal for which it had submitted to the State Government. There are two different projects under One Health Centre scheme related to MAFSU. One, for which the foundation stone was laid by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, is known as National Institute for One Health, a project by Indian Council for Medical Research (ICMR). This institute is equipped with the Bio Safety Level (BSL-IV) laboratory. Its construction work has already been started on the land situated in front of Nagpur Veterinary College. The other project is-- One Health Centre for Wildlife Zoonotic Diseases, which comes under the Department of Biotechnology, the proposal for which was submitted by MAFSU to State Government. The Department’s Wildlife Research and Training Centre (WRTC) is already functioning at Gorewada. Dr Nitin Patil, Vice-Chancellor of MAFSU said, “If we get this centre then it will be first-of-its-kind in India. The centre that was inaugurated by Prime Minister doesn’t have the aspect of wildlife and it covers 10 diseases. The centre which we have proposed can work on 20 different diseases under one roof.”

Dr Shirish Upadhye, Dean, MAFSU said, “We are already running WRTC in Gorewada Zoo, which is of three years, and we have completed two years. To establish the said centre, we don’t need infrastructure or regular staff. We need equipment and temporary staff, for which we have submitted an estimation of Rs 30 crore.” Diseases occurring in wild animals, their transmission to humans, and treatment protocols, are important issues. If we receive funds from the Government, the centre will be ready within a year. Sudhir Mungantiwar, Minister of Forest has given positive indication for its approval. A total of 700 types of viruses, bacteria, parasites infect humans through animals and birds. If diseases are prevented in animals only, then its spread can be stopped. Along with detection of diseases, treatment system can also be developed. The work of preparing vaccine on bacteria can also be done by the centre.

At present veterinary doctors directly collect samples, they don’t have right to investigate. Once the centre comes into being, the right of testing samples can be procured by signing agreements with the hospitals like Government Medical College and Hospital, Indira Gandhi Government Medical College and Hospital and All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS). This will be the first center in the country, where such treatment protocol will be prepared. In most cases of deaths of wildlife, it becomes difficult to go deeper into the causes of their demise. But this centre will find it through DNA sequencing. It can also help in identifying the age of the animals who died. Dr Upadhye said, “ It is not surprising that in India, where approximately 80% of population lives in rural areas in close contact with large domestic animal populations abundance of vectors because of suitable climate, low socio-economic conditions and lack of proper medical care, zoonotic diseases assume great public health significance. Against this backdrop, this centre would prove most useful in all sense.”