Project Directorate on Foot-and-Mouth Disease, Indian Veterinary Research Institute Campus, Mukteswar-Kumaon, Nainital-263138, India.
Abstracts of the papers presented at the International Conference of Indian Virological Society on “Emerging and Re-emerging viral Diseases of the Tropics and Subtropics” at Indian Agricultural Research Institute, New Delhi, India, December 11–14, 2007.
India is endemic for foot and mouth disease and outbreaks of FMD in the country attributes to serotype O, A and Asia1 with type O accounts for more than 80% of the incidence. Last outbreak of type C in India was witnessed in 1995. Higher genetic divergence among Indian field isolates has been revealed by sequence analysis involving 1D/VP1 gene. The country has a large population (470 million) of FMD susceptible livestock comprising of cattle, buffalo, sheep, goats and pigs. But the disease most commonly reported from cattle and buffaloes and since the disease always takes milder clinical course in small ruminants, it goes unnoticed. The less population of pigs in India accounts for less incidence of FMD in that species. The direct loss due to FMD in our country is estimated to be more than Rs. 20,000 crores per year. In addition to this, trade embargo placed by the disease free nations for animal product imparts huge loss to our country's economy. For any country's livestock industry to be viable and profitable, FMD need be controlled if not eradicated. Controlling of the disease in our country is a feasible approach, as total eradication at this stage may appear as impractical. The country currently employs inactivated polyvalent vaccines to contain FMD with poor vaccine coverage (∼2% of the susceptible population is vaccinated annually). To control FMD, besides systematic vaccination on large scale, prompt reporting system, employing efficient diagnostic test and controlling of animal movement are prerequisite. Department of Animal Husbandry and Dairying, GOI launched a nation wide FMD control programme for the establishment of disease free zones in selected 54 districts of the country, which is proposed to be expanded in the current plan.
