The Government of India implements the Livestock Health and Disease Control Programme (LHDCP) across the country with the primary objective of reducing risks to animal health through various measures since 2022. The program focuses on prophylactic vaccination against key animal diseases, capacity building of veterinary services, disease surveillance, and strengthening veterinary infrastructure. Key activities supported under the LHDCP include vaccination against Foot and Mouth Disease (FMD), Brucellosis, Peste des Petits Ruminants (PPR), and Classical Swine Fever (CSF). Additionally, the program includes initiatives such as Establishment and Strengthening of Veterinary Hospitals and Dispensaries - Mobile Veterinary Units (ESVHD-MVU) and Assistance to States for Control of Animal Disease (ASCAD), targeting state-prioritized exotic, emergent, and zoonotic animal diseases, including Lumpy Skin Disease (LSD).The primary objective of the LHDCP aligns with the National Animal Disease Control Programme (NADCP), aiming to control FMD by 2025 through vaccination and achieve eventual eradication by 2030. ICAR-NIFMD plays a crucial technical role in supporting the FMD control program under LHDCP by producing and supplying diagnostic kits for FMD virus diagnosis, seromonitoring, and serosurveillance. Additionally, ICAR-NIFMD collaborates with ICAR-IVRI and CCS National Institute of Animal Health, Baghpat, to conduct quality control testing of FMD vaccine batches for safety, sterility, purity, and potency according to standard operating procedures set by the Department of Animal Husbandry and Dairying (DAHD).
The institute conducts FMD seromonitoring using Solid Phase Competitive ELISA (SPCE) to measure anti-FMDV structural antibody titers. The sampling strategy, developed by ICAR-NIFMD in collaboration with ICAR-NIVEDI, is implemented under the National Animal Disease Control Programme (NADCP) for seromonitoring. The sampling scheme includes collecting metadata related to the age, species, sex, and location of the animals. Samples are stratified by age into three groups: 6-12 months, 13-24 months, and >24 months, with a ratio of 5:4:1, following OIE guidelines. Approximately 150,000 pre- and post-vaccination samples are tested in each vaccination round
In India, vaccination using inactivated vaccines is fundamental for controlling FMD. However, identifying infected animals among vaccinated ones is a challenge crucial for effective control programs. This differentiation is vital during serological surveys to detect infection evidence. During active FMDV replication, various nonstructural proteins (NSPs) are produced, prompting anti-NSP antibody responses absent in animals vaccinated with inactivated virus vaccines. The use of DIVA assays is essential for identifying potential disease-free zones (DFZs) with vaccination in India. A two-stage sampling strategy, jointly developed by ICAR-NIFMD and ICAR-NIVEDI, guides sampling designs for NSP antibody serosurveillance, with a focus on younger animals (6-18 months) to avoid false positive signals from repeated vaccination in NSP ELISA. Each year, about 120,000 samples are screened using 3AB3 NSP ELISA to assess FMD seroprevalence.
The World Organization for Animal Health (OIE) has recommended implementing follow-up procedures for FMD nonstructural protein (NSP)-positive reactors across the entire country and providing annual updates during the reconfirmation of WOAH/OIE endorsement. ICAR-NIFMD has organized capacity-building programs on "probang sample collection and follow-up of NSP reactors" at the national level, with participation from other SAARC countries.During the online capacity-building program, state animal husbandry departments nominated 3-4 veterinarians each for a hands-on training program held in 2023 over 3 days. These trained veterinarians now serve as master trainers in their respective states, responsible for collecting and dispatching probang samples or oropharyngeal fluid from FMD NSP reactor animals regularly for testing.