Director's Message :

It gives me immense pleasure to welcome you all to the web portal of ICAR - National Institute on Foot & Mouth Disease (ICAR - NIFMD), Bhubaneswar.

Foot and Mouth Disease (FMD) is a devastating transboundary animal disease endemic in India, with serotypes O, A, and Asia1. Of these, majority of cases are attributed to serotype O. India has implemented a vaccination-based control program to manage and eliminate the disease under the National Animal Disease Control Programme (NADCP)/Livestock Health and Disease Control Programme (LHDCP). The ICAR - NIFMD is the premier institute in India dedicated to FMD related Research & Development and value-added services since 1968, when AICRP on FMD started under the ICAR, New Delhi. Recognized as the National Institute on FMD on February 17, 2023, with state-of-the-art BSL3-Ag which is also DBT/RCGM certified facility, the institute also functions as an "FAO Reference Centre for FMD" and National Reference Centre for FMD. FMD surveillance and vaccine monitoring in India is conducted in collaboration with a network of 32 regional and collaborating centres located across the country, supported by ICAR & Department of Animal Husbandry and Dairying (DAHD), Government of India and operated under the auspices of ICAR - NIFMD, Bhubaneswar. The Institute was initiated as Project Directorate (2001), and upgraded to Directorate (2015) and National Institute (2023).

All the diagnostic technologies for FMD in use and strains applied for disease control are indigenous in nature, with efficacies at par with international standards. We indent to be a dynamic organization to effectively tackle FMD in the country and around with a goal to create FMD free zones, eliminate FMD with vaccination, and finally eradicate and sustain the eradication, so that the dream of "FMD Mukt Bharat" is fulfilled.

To achieve these objectives we need to be proactive and committed in developing disruptive technologies, especially effective vaccines with long lasting sterile immunity and ensure the application of existing quality-assured diagnostics and related processes (proficiency testing), NABL accreditation of important test parameters, recognition as WOAH FMD reference centre, etc. Nationwide capacity building of all stakeholders on quality high density vaccination & biosecurity procedures and contingency plan will play a crucial role in achieving the objectives.

While passing through this journey, the impact of work of Institute must reach to each and every household of the country. Some of the important milestones, in addition to others could be

• Disappearance of peaks of FMD outbreaks being presently observed every 2 - 3 years by building high herd immunity throughout the country.
• Achieving protective antibody titres in high proportion of pre-vaccinated cattle/buffalo (more than 80 - 85%).
• Low DIVA positivity in cattle/buffalo (say less than 5%).
• Declining trend of DIVA positivity through sentinel FMD surveillance in goat/sheep not covered under vaccination programme.
• Rare/no carrier status to be verified from oropharyngeal fluid/probang sample in NSP positive cattle/buffalo.