An expert panel discussion was organized by Guru Angad Dev Veterinary and Animal Sciences University, Ludhiana on “Foot-and mouth disease (FMD)” to discuss the strategies to combat the ongoing outbreaks of FMD in Punjab. The College of Animal Biotechnology coordinated this event. The panel discussion was started with the introductory address by Dr. Inderjeet Singh, Vice Chancellor. He emphasized the need for expert discussion on FMD, a transboundary viral disease of livestock. As the disease has knocked the livestock farms across the state of Punjab, it is the correct time to get the right guidance from the national level experts on the virus and disease control approaches.
Dr. Rabindra Prasad Singh, Director, ICAR-National Institute on Foot and Mouth Disease, Bhubaneswar alongwith Dr. JK Mohapatra were the expert speakers on the FMD panel discussion. Dr. Singh stressed on maintenance of cold-chain during vaccination, vaccination in high-density livestock population till attainment of herd immunity, the need of strict biosecurity practices at farm level as some of the crucial determining factors to control the menace in the livestock herd. The discussion was supplemented by Dr. Mohapatra regarding quality of FMD vaccines and routine seromonitoring to check the immunity status in vaccinated stock. He added that the shedding of the FMD virus in semen is to be checked till 3 months after the last outbreak of the virus case on the farm. Dr. Gursharanjit Singh Bedi, Director, Animal Husbandry Department, Punjab briefed about recent outbreaks of FMD across Punjab and preventive measures undertaken regarding ongoing menace of FMD in state. Policy makers, Scientists and Faculties, working under Indian Council of Agricultural Research as well as state veterinary and agricultural universities and field veterinarians actively participated in this panel discussion. Dr. Yashpal Singh Malik, Dean of College of Animal Biotechnology gave the concluding remarks. He stressed on the adoption of inward ring vaccination in disease epicenters to control the virus spread. Dr. Malik extended vote of thanks on behalf of the organizers to Dr. Inderjeet Singh, different experts, state department and livestock farmers of the Punjab
