Indian Immunologicals Ltd (IIL) has unveiled a vaccine to fight against tapeworms in pigs. CYSVAX, the vaccine, is the world’s first such, the Hyderabad-headquartered wholly-owned subsidiary of the National Dairy Development Board said on Wednesday. The recombinant porcine (Pigs) Cysticercosis vaccine developed by IIL also has the potential to significantly reduce the incidence of epilepsy in humans. Cysticercosis is a parasitic disease caused by ingesting the eggs of the pork tapeworm, Taenia solium. It is a zoonotic parasite, involving pigs as intermediate hosts. Humans are usually infected by the ingestion of eggs present in the undercooked pork, vegetables and greens improperly washed. Cysts that develop in the central nervous system cause Neuro-Cysticercosis, one of the predominant reasons for epilepsy in humans. IIL collaborated with Dr.Marshall Lightowlers, University of Melbourne, Australia and GALVmed (Global Alliance for Veterinary medicine) to develop the vaccine.
