‘Brucellosis can transmit from animals to humans’

Tribune News Service

Ludhiana, September 19

An international review meeting was held at the Guru Angad Dev Veterinary and Animal Sciences University (GADVASU), to share results of India-United Kingdom collaborative project on control of brucellosis funded by the Department of Biotechnology India and Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC), UK.

Brucellosis is an animal disease which transmits to humans through direct contact with infected animals, particularly during calving and abortion event, and consumption of raw milk and dairy products.

Participants from the GADVASU; Royal Veterinary College, London; PGIMER Chandigarh; London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine; District Epidemiologist, Ludhiana; Department of Animal Husbandry Punjab; Punjab Dairy Development Board; Punjab Veterinary Vaccine Institute Ludhiana; Regional Disease Diagnostic Laboratory, Jalandhar, Ludhiana; University of Sydney, Australia; and dairy farmers attended the event.

The meeting was facilitated by Hannah Holt, Dr Jasbir Bedi and Dr Paviter Kaur. Dr NS Sharma gave introduction of the project and depicted the importance of brucellosis in animals and human. Dr Rajesh Kumar (PGIMER) showed human exposure to the disease and highlighted the need to ensure general public awareness of the risks of drinking raw milk and dairy products.

Dr Punam Mangtani from London presented data on brucellosis in the general population. Prof Javier Guitian from the Royal Veterinary College presented forecasts of the frequency of disease in cattle and buffalo herds from computer simulation modelling under different control scenarios.

Dr HS Toor, Deputy Director, Department of Animal Husbandry, Punjab, District Epidemiologist Dr Ramesh Kumar, assured the house that their departments would support in the dissemination of project information at field level.

Dr JPS Gill, Director Research, GADVASU, said the fight to control the disease and communication of important public and animal health messages requires an inter-sectoral approach.