Medicosnext
Dr. Suderson Prasad Gautam
Retired, Chief Veterinary Officer
Ex. Chief of the Laboratory
Central Biological Production Laboratory, Tripureshwor
Throughout the current issue of MedicosNext we have presented you with various articles on vaccines. Coming this far you might have read a lot about the vaccination program in Nepal. When we think of vaccines, we normally link it with child vaccinations. It was the COVID pandemic that made us more aware of Adult vaccinations and it literally helped bring the life back to normalcy. We got immunized with different vaccines coming from India, China or the United States. Do we know that vaccines are produced here in Nepal too and that it started long back in 1961 itself? You start reading the first paragraph and think like okay so the animal vaccines are produced here in Nepal, but as you read through the interview you realize that even Human rabies vaccines have been produced and used here in Nepal. Today we are bring you an interview of a distinguished veterinarian who started his job at the Central Biological Production Laboratory in Tripureshwor and got retired from the same facility as the Chief of the Laboratory after finishing his three plus decades of job tenure. Let us get a personal touch with the renowned veterinarian Dr. Suderson Prasad Gautam and look into the matter of vaccine production here in Nepal.
Please provide us an overview of your career in the Biological production in Nepal.
After the completion my graduation (B.V.Sc. & A.H.) in 1982 from Punjab Agriculture University in Veterinary Science, India I applied for the job in the Department of Livestock, a Governmental Organization under the Ministry of Agriculture. My first appointment was in the Central Biological Production Laboratory as Bacteriologist in 1982 which was the only vaccine production laboratory in Nepal. Since then I served in the same office for more than three decades in different capacities Bacteriologist (G- III) to Chief of the Laboratory (G-I) officer. During which I was involved in research, production and introduction of different new vaccines.
What motivated you to work in the biological division for so long?
I saw the opportunity and challenge in the laboratory to grow my career as well as in controlling animal diseases by producing different kinds of vaccines. By controlling the diseases I visualized that I can save the animal, public and environment as well as economic loss of the farmer/public and the country itself. The other motivating factor was that I could stay with my family in my own house as this is the only organization in the country and I would not be posted in other places in the country.
Vaccine Production in Nepal.
When did the vaccine production Division start in Nepal and how has it evolved over the years?
With the need of controlling highly contagious Rinderpest disease of cattle, vaccine production started in 1961 AD producing Rinderpest virus Goat tissue vaccine (RP-GTV) in Tripureshwor, Kathmandu Nepal.
As thousands of cattle were dying due to this disease there was a strong need of mass vaccination of the cattle throughout the country. It was a rather difficult challenge for a country like Nepal to administer live vaccines to the cattle throughout the nation, in that cold chain maintenance was a must for the vaccine. Here we are talking about an age and time when the roads and electricity were simply not there in remote areas of the nation. Therefore, the (RP-GTV) were inoculated in the goats and goats were carried by the vaccination teams wherever they went for vaccination in different districts. After 4-5 days of inoculation the virus would multiply to the highest level within the goat and then the goat would be sacrificed and spleen collected aseptically and the vaccine would be prepared from the wet spleen tissue which in turn was used for vaccination of cattle by the vaccinator present in the vaccination team.
Over the years after rinderpest vaccines the other vaccine were added to control the different diseases such as Haemorrhagic septicaemia (H.S.) vaccine of cattle and bufallo in 1967; New Castle Disease Vaccines of poultry in 1968; Fowl Pox vaccine of poultry in 1968; Rabies vaccine for animals in 1970, Rabies vaccine for humans 1984; Black Quarter (B. Q.) vaccine for cattle in 1984; Anthrax spore vaccine (live) for animals in 1989; Swine Fever vaccine for pigs 1998; New Castle Disease (La Sota) for poultry in 1998; IBD (Gumboro) vaccine for poultry 1998; H.S. and B.Q. combined for cattles1998; Peste des Petite ruminant (PPR) vaccine for Goat and Sheep in 2000; H.S. Aerosol vaccine in 2004.
What type of vaccine was produced in the laboratory during your tenure?
There were 14 types of vaccines produced in the laboratory both live and killed. Some of them were bacterial vaccines and some were viral vaccines. These were for the use in different animals and birds against highly infectious and contagious diseases. In the early days Rinder Pest virus vaccine was produced to control and eradicate the highly contagious disease of cattle, Vaccines were used till 1996 AD and in 2000 AD Nepal was declared provisionally free from Rinderpest disease. In 2010 Nepal was declared free from RINDERPEST virus by OIE (World Animal Health Organization), becoming second viral disease to be eradicated from Nepal after Small Pox virus in Nepal.
What were your initial responsibilities when you started working in the Division?
My responsibility was to produce the bacterial vaccines H.S. and B. Q. but as the manpower were less in the division every staff had to be involved for the production of the vaccines as there was the stress to produce more vaccines for mass vaccination campaign of RP. My responsibility was not only limited to the production but also quality assurance of the produced vaccines.
Can you share some of the challenges you faced in your entry level position and how you overcame them?
Vaccine production was a totally new field for me after graduation where the basic knowledge is imparted. I knew that vaccines are double edge weapon if properly produced and used, it can save a lot of lives but if it is not produced / used properly it can cause havoc or even a loss of life. To produce a safe, efficacious and potent vaccine was the challenge I faced but with the help of my colleague, available Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) and observing the actual production I quickly overcame these challenges.
Can you discuss any notable achievements or advancement in vaccine production that you were a part of?
After I joined the production laboratory I got some chances to expose myself with some production laboratory in India, Thailand, Malaysia, and Australia. At the same time there were some deadly outbreak of diseases like, Gumboro in Poultry; Anthrax in cattle and buffalo; Classical swine fever in Pig; PPR (Peste des Petit Ruminant) in sheep and goat population within the country. I was involved in the disease diagnosis, research and developing the vaccines for controlling all these diseases my exposure and training in above countries certainly helped me to accomplish these tasks.
Have there been any collaborations or partnerships with international organization in vaccine development?
Nepal Government in Collaboration with Asian Development Bank, European Union, FAO organized some training to laboratory personnel in different laboratories like Indian Veterinary Research Institute (IVRI) India; Veterinary Biological, Pakchong, Thailand; Veterinary Research Institute (VRI), IPOH, Malaysia; Webster Vaccine Institute, Australia which helped in vaccine development within the country. Some other countries which helped by providing vaccine seeds like PPR seed from CIRAD, France; Anthrax, IBD seeds from Australia; Swine fever lapinized vaccine seeds through FAO from Bhutan.
Human Vaccine production in Nepal
Has there been any effort to develop human vaccines in Nepal?
Certainly, yes we had started production and testing the Rabies vaccine production since 1982 in Biological division, Tripureshwor, then the only one vaccine production laboratory in Government sector of Nepal. For human use β-propiolactone (BPL) treated 5% semple type of Anti Rabies vaccine, a nerve tissue vaccine (Sheep brain suspension) was commonly used in south Asian countries including India. Nepal also imported these vaccines from India and used in dog bite cases under the Ministry of health, Epidemiology section, Teku, Nepal. After all the internal quality control were passed two consecutive batch of rabies vaccines were sent to World Reference Laboratories Kasauli (India) and Pasture Institute (France) to assess the titer and quality. The reports came in positive and showed that the required titer and quality can be used safely in Human population.
In 1990, there was a scarcity of the vaccine and epidemiology section could not procure the vaccines. Then request was sent by the Government of Nepal to the Government of India. Then, the ambassador of India to Nepal handed over just two liters of the vaccine which proved largely inadequate since the required amount at that time was more than 10 liters. Then, a MOU was signed between Ministry of Agriculture and Ministry of Health to use the vaccine produced by Rabies vaccine division of Tripureshwor. The vaccines were used continuously till 2000. It was only after WHO guidelines suggested using cell culture vaccines and stopping the nerve tissue (Semple) vaccines for human use, which led to the stoppage in the production and use of that vaccine.
Now, the rabies vaccine division is producing tissue culture vaccines for animals and is developing the tissue culture vaccine for human. The two batches of tissue culture vaccines for Rabies have successfully passed evaluation at the World Reference Laboratory for Rabies at Pasture Institute, France. It can be used safely in humans.
What challenges and opportunities exist for expanding vaccine development effort in the country?
The challenges for human tissue culture vaccine are limited manpower, laboratory facilities and financial constraints. The opportunities are we have skilled manpower, available substrates, equipment’s for the production of vaccines. If it can be produced and used in humans it can prevent the depletion of foreign currency reserve for buying vaccines. It can also reduce the dependency on other country for vaccines and prevent the shortage because of lockdown as faced in 1990 by India.
Work in the Biological Division
Could you elaborate on the specific projects or tasks you were involved in within the biological Division?
In the initial stage I was involved in research and development of the vaccines against highly infectious and contagious diseases. Also to increase the quality and quantity of the vaccines produced. In later stages, in addition to the above task I had to look after financial and administrational work of the division.
How did your work contribute to the Overall goals of the Livestock department?
Our efforts contributed to the development and incorporation of a new range of vaccines, aiming to safeguard animals and birds. This initiative not only aided in preventing losses for farmers but also prevented government economy to some extent. The main goal of the Livestock Department is the same as mentioned above. We could provide quality vaccines in poultry by using specific pathogen free (SPF) eggs in vaccine production. By adding bio-reactor fermenter tanks we increased the quality and quantity of bacterial vaccine produced to meet the demand of the vaccines. To facilitate the farmers to get quality vaccines we appointed 10 stockiest at different districts and outlets and take care that cold chain is maintained throughout the transportation period as well as storage at stockiest level and vaccine banks at five regional directorate offices.
Meanwhile, we charged some nominal charges for the vaccine we produced so that the vaccines are not misused. It helped control the exuberant price of the imported vaccines and at the same time it helped government generate some revenue. For the first few years’ revenue generated was more than the budget allocated for the division even when the charged prices were cheaper than the imported vaccines.
How has the division evolved since you started and what impacts do you think your work has had on its trajectory?
Nepal is able to fulfill the demand of vaccines both in terms of quality and quantity in most of the vaccine it produced. The division is self-sustainable for few years as it is generating revenue from the sale of the vaccines and if we could add some more resources we could be in profit. There is a lot that needs to be done in order to produce more vaccines to prevent the spread of the existing diseases and the newly emerging disease in the country.
As you reflect on your career, what do you consider to be the highlights or milestones in your work in biological division?
The most important achievement in my career was in Tissue culture Vaccine production against PPR disease in sheep and goat in the division which helped to prevent the death of millions of sheep and goat population in Nepal. PPR tissue culture vaccine was prepared from the seed from CIRAD, France, which was the first of its kind within the south Asian countries. For this achievement and my contribution in other vaccine production I was awarded a Medal, “Gorkha Dakshin Bahu” by then, His Majesty’s The King Birendra Bir Bikram Shah Dev in 2000.
How did your role in the division contribute to the sector of vaccine production?
The dedicated working staffs, efficient use of the available equipment and machinery are the basic things for the development of quality and quantity of the vaccine which prevents the loss of animals or birds. The success will not be achieved without the cumulative efforts of all the staff of the divisions as well as a supportive role from livestock department and ministry of agriculture. My role was to continue the sincere work and always remain committed in achieving the organizational goal.
