Did you know that such is the negative impact of foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) on the Indian economy that the country suffered a loss of Rs. 23,000 crore in just one year (2013–14)?
This fact has come out in the risk analysis and economic impact assessment of certain major livestock diseases conducted by the National Institute of Veterinary Epidemiology and Disease Informatics (NIVEDI).
Animals such as cattle, sheep, goats, pigs, antelope, deer and bison are susceptible to FMD.
NIVEDI Director H. Rahman told The Hindu that the study had also shown that another animal disease — Peste des Petits Ruminants (PPR) — had caused a loss of Rs. 1,700 crore to the country in the same year.
It is in this background that advance forecasting of animal diseases was very important so that vaccination could be taken up to prevent losses, Dr. Rahman observed.
