New Delhi: Expressing concern on the absence of regulations and policy around livestock vaccination to save the poultry sector against viral disease and huge economic losses to poultry farmers, the All India Poultry Breeders Association (AIPBA) has urged the government to allow manufacturing and vaccination of low pathogen avian influenza disease (LPAI H9N2) to the poultry livestock for safeguarding the economic losses and disease management of poultry birds.
In a letter to Union Minister for Animal Husbandry, Livestock, Dairying and Fisheries, Parshottam Rupala, AIPBA chairman Bahadur Ali said, "Considering the huge poultry population in India, the fragmented nature of poultry farming and the lack of respect towards adhering to restrictions on bird movements from one region to another in the event of an outbreak of LPAI, vaccination could be the better alternative to control LPAI in India."
"In addition, the poultry industry has been suffering for a very long time with no regulations and policy around vaccination. Also, the current scenario restricts the manufacturing of LPAI H9N2 vaccine in India for the livestock poultry industry. Lakhs of farmers suffer huge economic losses due to various diseases caused by viral infection spread into poultry livestock,"
he said.
Replying to the AIPBA's request, Rupala said, "A suitable vaccination policy to protect the birds and avoid antigenic drift in the virus is needed. We would try to resolve the issue very soon."