**Acknowledgements**

*Some RNA Viruses*

needed to be identified and given a free pass to trace their journey. Mithun and Yaks are also susceptible for FMD but they have been kept aside from the control programme. Services of State veterinary colleges needed to be utilised in a better way and funded to for the set up of extension camps and activities which spread awareness among livestock owners. However, enthusiasm shown by veterinarians to spread awareness in the livestock owners about free FMDV vaccinations from remote locations of India in Reasi, Jammu is widely appreciated (the veterinary official took para-gliding to spread FMD awareness in the mountainous region!). There are very few reports available on impact of the FMDCP in the control of FMD [35]. Haryana state is also going to undertake trials of combined vaccines of FMD and Haemorrhagic septicaemia (HS). These combined vaccines are shown to elicit better immunity. Then the question to NADCP will be why they have chosen only Haryana for testing combined vaccines and not chosen entire country? It will be wise to go with combined vaccines for FMD and HS in the NADCP, since it will reduce the cost of vaccination and handling of the animals, save manpower, brings in additional expert manpower involved in HS research and increase its outreach. International community is closely watching the scenario as there was a report indicating transboundry movement of FMD to Sri Lanka from India [36]. So, FMD vaccines needed to be of superior quality which can confer higher level of protection by eliciting neutralising antibodies. The inactivated FMDV vaccines used in FMDCP in India, require cold chain maintenance from its production to administration in the animals. Sometimes vaccine failures can be due to improper storage of the vaccines. Presently, there is no way to confirm whether the cold chain is maintained during transportation of the vaccines or not. Vaccines can be incorporated with certain indicators whose colour may change irreversibly when exposed to higher temperatures. Secrecy is being maintained to disclose vaccine quality testing data and only few authorities are designated for the testing. Rather processes of vaccine quality testing needed to be digitally recorded and must have real time access to any viewers for positive criticism. To clear any doubts in the minds of the public due to recent controversies in vaccine manufacturing and quality control, apart from the designated national agencies for quality testing of the FMD vaccines, services of any third party national agency and if need be, international agency must be hired wherever applicable. There needed to be more coordination among institutions to share real time data for the public. Such reporting and real time sharing of the data needed to be encouraged and talked upon to relish any success stories to inspire for and to learn any lessons otherwise. Newer and newer vistas must be explored [37]. However practices based on indigenous knowledge for control and treatment of FMD from rural India is well

India is having a will to prevent and control Foot-and-mouth disease, an economically important viral disease of livestock which causes huge annual losses of about ₹ 200 billion. In the past, India has successfully eradicated Rinderpest and Poliovirus, during those times to till now, it has tremendously enriched its knowhow and institutional capabilities to handle a massive scale programme as that of FMDCP. There is a huge drop down in the number of FMD incidences/outbreaks reported as a result of this programme. India has a mechanism and expertise in place to prevent and control FMD and eradicate it by 2025–2030, but that has to be backed by the livestock owners, scientific communities, institutions and its people,

**104**

documented [38].

**8. Conclusions**

enlightened for the disease by the disease, FMD.

No funds are made available or received. Author wishes to extend thanks to Mr. Abhay Pratap, UG student (B.V.Sc. & A.H.) for his help.
