USDA Training on Basic Veterinary Epidemiology at ICAR-NIVEDI

A 5-day USDA-training programme on Basic Veterinary Epidemiology and Outbreak Investigation jointly organized by United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), USA, Department of Animal Husbandry Dairying and Fisheries (DADF), Government of India, ICAR-National Institute of Veterinary Epidemiology and Disease Informatics (ICAR-NIVEDI), Bengaluru and Southern Regional Disease Diagnostic Laboratory (SRDDL), Bengaluru from 6-10 April, 2015.

The training programme was inaugurated by Dr. H. Rahman, Director, NIVEDI and Dr Robin White, Chief of Staff of the USDA and APHIS-IS (Animal and Plant Health Inspection Services-International Service) on 06.04.2015 at ICAR-National Institute of Veterinary Epidemiology and Disease Informatics(ICAR-NIVEDI), Bengaluru.

Dr. H. Rahman, Director, ICAR-NIVEDI in his welcome address, stressed on the need for such training programme as epidemiology is an important component disease control programme and appreciated the efforts of the USDA and DADF in capacity building in the area of epidemiology in India.  He urged the participants to adapt the knowledge gained during the training programme in disease investigations and epidemiological studies. Dr Rahman said in India incidence of livestock diseases vary from state to state and expressed the hope that the training will help India’s veterinarians to diagnose and control diseases effectively.

Country Director, USDA- APHIS-IS, India, Dr. Scott Saxe, USAD- APHIS veterinary epidemiologists, Dr. Amy Delgado and Dr. Cynthia Johnson, Ms Rakhee Masson, APHIS-IS, India, Director, IAH & VB, Dr S M Byregowda, Joint Director Southern Regional Disease Diagnostic Laboratory,  Dr M D Venkatesha participated in the event..

The programme  aimed at capacity building in veterinary epidemiology. The USAD training programme, first of its kind in Veterinary Epidemiology, underlines the growing Indo-US cooperation in the field of science, technology and agricultural sciences to train Indian veterinary scientists and field officers in identifying and combating the deadly animal diseases that occur in the country.

Participants, mostly veterinary officers, from 20 states and union territories of India attened the traning programme.

(Source: ICAR-National Institute of Veterinary Epidemiology and Disease Informatics, Bengaluru)