National Exercise ‘VAJRA-SAT’ Concludes at Bengaluru, Strengthening India's Preparedness for Foot-and-Mouth Disease

Key Highlights:

• The National Tabletop Exercise ‘VAJRA-SAT’ on Foot-and-Mouth Disease (FMD) serotype SAT-1 preparedness concluded in Bengaluru.
• Organized by the Department of Animal Husbandry and Dairying (DAHD) and ICAR-National Institute of Veterinary Epidemiology and Disease Informatics (ICAR-NIVEDI) on 4–5 November 2026.
• The exercise aimed to strengthen national preparedness and coordinated response to transboundary animal diseases.
• It was a proactive initiative as FMD serotype SAT-1 has not been reported in India but is spreading in West Asia.
• The event brought together 83 participants from 25 States, three Union Territories, and key national institutions.

Detailed Insights:

• The exercise focused on simulated outbreak scenarios covering early detection, laboratory confirmation, epidemiological investigation, and emergency vaccination.
• Key recommendations included timely reporting, rapid laboratory confirmation, disease surveillance, and enhanced inter-State coordination.
• Emphasis was placed on strengthening national and State-level preparedness and enhancing laboratory diagnostic capacity, including regional FMD laboratories and Regional Disease Diagnostic Laboratories (RDDLs).
• A separate technical meeting discussed FMD-free compartmentalisation for semen production centres and semen banks.
• This initiative aims to safeguard livestock health, farmers' livelihoods, valuable livestock genetic resources, and facilitate safe livestock trade.

Scientific/Technical Concepts Involved:

• Foot-and-Mouth Disease (FMD): A severe, highly contagious viral disease affecting cloven-hoofed animals like cattle, sheep, and pigs.
• Serotype: A distinct group of microorganisms (like viruses or bacteria) classified based on their shared surface antigens.
• FMD-free compartmentalisation: A strategy to maintain a disease-free subpopulation of animals or facilities within a larger infected zone, recognized by the OIE.