The Hindu : Kerala / Thiruvananthapuram News : Antibiotic sensitivity kit developed

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Thursday, Nov 08, 2007
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Kerala

Kerala - Thiruvananthapuram

Antibiotic sensitivity kit developed

Special Correspondent

To help combat mastitis disease in milch cattle

Bulk production of kits to start soon, says C. Divakaran
Kit to enable faster and cheaper testing

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The Sree Chitra Tirunal Institute for Medical Sciences and Technology (SCTIMST) here has developed an antibiotic sensitivity kit to help combat mastitis disease in milch cattle.

The technology for this was formally transferred to the Institute of Animal Health and Veterinary Biologicals, Palode, at a function here on Wednesday.

This institution, under the Department of Animal Husbandry, will soon start bulk production of the kits, Minister for Animal Husbandry C. Divakaran said at the function.

Mastitis is one of the major diseases found among milch cattle in the State, reducing milk production drastically. According Animal Husbandry Department Director R. Vijayakumar, the disease brings economic loss to the tune of around Rs.10 crore to the farmers of the State annually.

Timely treatment with a sensitive antibiotic is most essential in the management of mastitis. The methods of testing now being followed are time consuming and costly.

The kit developed by SCTIMST will make the testing faster and cheaper. The programme to start bulk production of the kit follows successful field testing, he said. The technology transfer function was attended by MLAs V. Sivankutty and J. Arundhati and the head of the Biomedical Technology Wing at SCTIMST, G.S. Bhuvaneshwar.

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