Vet varsity, DMCH to work on slaughterhouses’ surveillance

Ludhiana, August 9

In a step toward enhancing public, animal and environmental health, scientists from Guru Angad Dev Veterinary and Animal Sciences University and Dayanand Medical College and Hospital have been awarded a multi-sectoral One Health project focusing on slaughterhouses’ surveillance for zoonotic pathogens. The project launch event was organised by the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) in New Delhi. The launch meeting and brainstorming session included an address by Dr Rajiv Bahl, Secretary of the Department of Health Research (DHR) and Director General of ICMR. Dr Bahl emphasised the need for collaboration between human and animal health professionals for rapid detection of the spillover of zoonotic diseases.

A team of professionals from Veterinary University including Dr JPS Gill, Director of Research; Dr JS Bedi, Dr Pankaj Dhaka and from DMCH including Dr Veenu Gupta, Dr Rajesh Mahajan and Dr Manisha Aggarwal participated in the meeting. Dr JPS Gill highlighted the university’s research efforts to address regional and national zoonoses within the One Health framework. He emphasised that the objective of enhancing food safety in hygienic meat production would benefit the slaughterhouses of Punjab and improve worker welfare. Dr Jasbir Singh Bedi and Dr Veenu Gupta presented the project implementation plan for the state. — TNS