Joint Director
Zakura, Srinagar

Phone : 91-194-2422271
Email : [email protected]

The prestigious institute of Animal Health & Biological Products is located at Zakura about 15 kms. from the main Srinagar city and is a referral institute of the valley. This institute was established during the year 1982 and has got three main divisions.

•  Disease Diagnostic and Research Division (Headed by Parasitologist).

• Vaccine Production Division (Headed by Deputy Director Research).

• Standardization & Quality Control Division (Quality Control Officer).

 Disease Diagnostic and Research Division: The division is meant for investigation of Animal and poultry diseases with respect to aetiology spread of the disease, preventive and therapeutic strategy to be adopted for this purpose. This division undertakes investigations, incidence of various livestock and poultry diseases that are referred to the institute. Whenever the outbreaks are reported to the disease investigation section, such outbreaks are thoroughly investigated. The research staff visits the affected places/villages and collect all the relevant epidemiological data pertaining to the outbreak. Wherever possible, spot diagnosis is provided, otherwise suitable clinical, post mortem samples are collected from the affected animals for laboratory analysis and after the analysis of the samples disease is diagnosed and suitable control measures are communicated to the concerned.

In addition the Disease Investigation section of this institute also receives a number of clinical samples sent by the field veterinarians for diagnosis. The samples that are received include blood samples for detection of etiological agents, faecal samples for presence of parasitic ova or cyst, tissue impression smears and heart blood smears from necropsed animals, and serum samples for detection of antibodies of bacterial/viral pathogens. These samples are analyzed by suitable tests and results are communicated to the concerned.

Vaccine Production Division: This division is meant for production of various veterinary biologicals against the schedule diseases like HS, BQ, Anthrax for large animals and FDC for the poultry, in quantities sufficient for the valley is undertaken by this institute. The department has been giving major emphasis on prevention of diseases by conducting mass immunization against specific & scheduled diseases in areas where such diseases are reported to have occurred especially in the endemic areas. The proper & timely immunization of the livestock against black  quarter HS,FMD, Anthrax RKD,IBD & fowl cholera which used to occur & take heavy toll of livestock & poultry previously have been considerably minimized but still pose a major threat to the livestock & poultry Industry.

Standardization & Quality Control Division: This division is meant for the Quality Control of various biologicals manufactured by this institute and for each batch of the vaccine produced is subjected to satisfactory, sterility/safety/immunogencity tests before the said batch of the vaccine is released for its field use.

Salient achievements of IAH&BP, Zakura

Vaccine Production                                                                 (Figures in lacs)

Disease Diagnosis and Research

ANIMAL DISEASE MONITORING & SURVEILLANCE

Work plan

1.      To coordinate research and field based livestock disease monitoring and surveillance activities with PD-ADMAS and act as lias-on with state and central Animal Husbandry and Veterinary authorities.

2.      Conduct sample frame based state level population surveys of important diseases.

3.      Investigation and laboratory validation of the disease out breaks with special reference to IBR and Brucellosis in randomly identified villages.

4.      Recording real time disease outbreaks and meteorological data in all disease out breaks.

5.      Validation of diagnostic kits developed by PD-ADMAS in the field.

6.      Collection and communication of information regarding all diseases of livestock and poultry to PD-ADMAS.

7.      Field validation, the disease forecasting models developed by the PD-ADMAS.  

8.      Economic analysis of livestock diseases.

 Brucellosis

Bovine Brucellosis is an economically important reproductive disease caused by Brucella Abortus which is a major abortion causing factor in large and small ruminants. The Regional Collaborating Unit of ADMAS, Srinagar is regularly screening the livestock of different organised and Govt. farms including Breeding Bull Stations of the state and the results obtained are reflected below in the table:  

Screening of Brucellosis in cattle (RBPT)

Screening of cattle against Brucellosis disease under ADMAS by Avidin Biotin Elisa Protocol for last six years

Infectious Bovine Rhinotracheitis (IBR)

Infectious Bovine Rhinotracheitis (IBR) is the most wide spread viral disease of bovines caused by Herpes virus – 1 (BHV – 1) and is characterized by respiratory and genital tract infections. The disease mostly occurs in animals over six months of age and causes Bronchopneumonia and abortion, loss of newborn calves, reduction in milk yield. The disease usually spread through aerosol route and semen of infected bulls. The BHV-1 remains latent in- definitely following natural infections and recrudescence, reactivation and shedding of the virus occurs under stress conditions.

The first hand information about the animal diseases reveal no symptoms in livestock population resembling to IBR. However, the sero surveillance conducted in the identified villages of the state and the results received from PD-ADMAS, Hebbal, Bangalore indicate the presence of significant proportion of antibodies against IBR disease.  The results of the sero surveillance conducted by RRU, Srinagar at State level is reflected below in the table:

Screening of cattle against IBR disease under by Avidin Biotin Elisa Protocol for last six years

Tuberculosis Disease

Tuberculosis is one of the most important disease of animals and is of great public health significance. This is one of the most significant emerging disease of humans world wide. In India disease is endemic in animals and different surveys conducted by Institute of Animal Health & B. P. Zakura by single intra dermal test (SID) for last three years is reflected below in the table:   

 Jhone’s Disease

Jhone’s disease is a chronic infectious enteritis of large animals caused by microbacterium paratuberculi characterised by persistent diarrhoea. The infection may occur at early stage usually under 30 days of age and clinical symptoms may not occur until 3 – 5 years of age. The disease reduces the expentency and decreases milk production and the animals with this disease are more prone to mastitis and infertility than non – disease animal. The survey conducted by IAH&BP, Zakura for last three years in Kashmir valley by single intra dermal Jhonin testing using Jhonin PPD and the results are reflected below in the table: 

 Animal Disease outbreaks attended by the officers of this institute for which the disease was diagnosis and confirmed at the institute itself - 43

Sero typing of morbid material collected from FMD field outbreaks

All the (05) morbid material samples collected were sent to CADRAD, IVRI and were confirmed positive for sero type ‘O’.

Sero monitoring

No. of morbid materials sent outside for sero typing of the FMD virus/ Rabies virus isolation = 22

Anthrax

The outbreaks of the Anthrax disease were usually recorded in Srinagar and Kupwara districts of the valley. However during the year under report not even a single sporadic case of the disease was recorded anywhere in the state. This being because of compulsory vaccination of animals in endemic zones with indigenously manufactured attenuated Anthrax Spore vaccine. The department has already identified endemic zones of the Anthrax disease in the state.

Rabies

During the year under report (11) incidences of the Rabies disease were recorded in Kupwara and Kulgam districts of the state affecting (97) cattle with (05) deaths.

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