Annual Report 2015-16

Abstract

Foot-and-mouth Disease (FMD) is a highly contagious viral disease of domesticated livestock, primarily cattle, buffalo and pigs. Sheep, goat and different species of wild life are also susceptible to the disease. India has a FMD susceptible livestock population of >500 million (DAHD&F, GoI, 2012). The economic loss to the livestock industry attributed to this dreaded disease is huge. There are direct and indirect losses due to this disease. Direct loss is estimated at >20,000 crore/annum that is due to significant drop in milk yield (up to 80%), loss in drought power, reduction in meat and wool production, abortion in pregnant animals and mortality in calves. Indirect loss could be much more due to trade barrier imposed by the countries free from FMD, and massive expenditure by Government on FMD control and cost of treatment. The causative FMD virus (FMDV) is antigenically diverse having seven distinct serotypes (O, A, C, Asia1) and Southern African Territories (SAT) 1-3 and multiple genetic groups in each serotype. Currently three serotypes (O, A and Asia1) are prevalent in India. Serotype O is the most prevalent one followed by serotypes Asia1 and A.