The country’s livestock disease monitoring and forecasting system has received a boost with the setting up of the state-of-the art Biosafety Laboratory in Bengaluru to take up detailed studies into disease-causing organisms.
The lab, set up by the National Institute of Veterinary Epidemiology and Disease Informatics (NIVEDI), was dedicated to the nation by Union Agriculture Minister Radha Mohan Singh at Yelahanka on Saturday.
It will be the nerve centre for the livestock disease forecasting system, according to NIVEDI Director H. Rahman. Close on the heels of commissioning of the lab, the scope of the livestock disease forecasting disease has been increased from the earlier 10 diseases to 15, he said.
The lab is expected to not only improve the accuracy of the livestock disease forecasting system, but also increase the efficiency of counter-disease measures. Dr. Rahman told The Hindu that the lab would help develop new biotechnological tools to diagnose and forecast the disease as it had sophisticated facilities to take the process of investigation of disease to the molecular level.
The uniqueness of the lab was that it would provide a platform to bring together both veterinary experts and medical practitioners to work jointly on health issues, Dr. Rahman pointed out.
