Chandigarh Begins Livestock Vaccination Drive

Chandigarh's Animal Husbandry Department has started the first round of vaccination drive to prevent brucellosis at Maloya village to control the spread of livestock disease by 2025 and eradicate it by 2030. This drive is launched under the Central Government’s National Animal Disease Control Programme (NADCP) for the eradication of Foot and Mouth Disease (FMD) and Brucellosis in livestock.

The main purpose of this programme is to vaccinate over 21000 livestock- cattle, sheep, buffalo, pigs and goats- of Chandigarh without any cost against the FMD and all bovines female calves against the brucellosis disease.

As per the Director of Animal Husbandry, Tejdeep Singh Saini- all eligible population female calves would be vaccinated under the programme, which would be finalized in the upcoming 15 days.

What is Brucellosis Disease?

It is a bacterial disease caused by Brucella species, which infect cattle, goats, swine, sheep and dogs. People get this disease through direct contact with infected animals or generally by eating/drinking contaminated animal products or by inhaling airborne agents. Most of the cases are caused by taking unpasteurized milk/cheese from infected animal.

Due to the expansion of animal industries & urbanization, and the absence of proper cleanliness/hygienic measures in animal husbandry and also in food handling, responsible for brucellosis remaining a public health concern.

Eradication of Brucellosis is based on the surveillance & early prevention of its risk factors. The most workable prevention strategy is the elimination of infection in animals itself. That's why vaccination of cattle, goats and sheep is suggested in enzootic areas with high prevalence rates.

In regions, where eradication in animals through vaccination is not viable, prevention of human infection is based on raising awareness, occupational hygiene , food-safety measures, and laboratory safety.

About Foot and Mouth Disease (FMD): 

It is most contagious virus disease of animals and considered as one of the most fatal livestock diseases. It seriously affects cloven-hoofed animals (those with divided hoofs), including cattle, camels, buffalo , goats, sheep, deer and pigs. It is prevalent in various parts of the world, and has also been reported in countries in Africa, the Middles East, Asia and South America.