High Security Animal Disease Laboratory

Indian Veterinary Research Institute, Indian Council of Agricultural Research

         High Security Animal Disease Laboratory (HSADL)

The High Security Animal Disease Laboratory (HSADL) is country's premier facility working under auspices of Indian Veterinary Research Institute (www.ivri.nic.in) of Indian Council of Agricultural Research (http://www.icar.org.in) for handling exotic and emerging pathogens of animals by virtue of its bio-safety level-IV containment laboratory and animal experimentation facility. Over last 10 years, HSADL has contributed significantly by controlling many animal diseases of exotic origin from entering our country including the deadly virus of avian influenza popularly known as bird flu in poultry.

Concerned by the entry of exotic animal diseases of economic importance into India through the import of livestock and livestock products or through the entry of animals at national borders coupled with the non-availability of the technology and facility to rapidly diagnose such foreign/exotic animal diseases, the need for having a containment/bio-safety laboratory was felt in 1973 by the then Director of Indian Veterinary Research Institute, Dr. C. M. Singh. This visionary’s dream was brought into reality by a dedicated group of Scientists and engineers under the leadership of Dr. G. C. Mohanty with the financial support from Indian Council of Agricultural Research, FAO/UNDP and World Bank. The fully functional bio-containment laboratory was dedicated to the nation on June 23rd, 2000 by the then Hon’ble Minister of Agriculture, Shri. Nitish Kumarji.Since then the laboratory has been operational continuously with particular attention in handling High Risk Animal Pathogens (HRAPs) / Trans-boundary Animal Diseases (TADs) / Genetically Engineered Organisms (GEOs). The scientists and the staff of this laboratory have played a pivotal role in checking the ingress of many exotic animal diseases into India. The lab is in the forefront of diagnosis and control of the repeated epidemics of extremely lethal bird flu due to Highly Pathogenic Notifiable Avian Influenza (HPNAI) H5N1.

Realizing the challenging need of stringent biological safety measures in the era of globalized animal trade and the growing threat of novel pathogens, the institute is continuously working to develop its R&D and HRD program for extending better services to the nation in terms of food security, employment generation, poverty alleviation and economic prosperity.

OIE RECOGNITION

The recognition for High Security Animal Disease Laboratory by Office des International Epizooties (OIE), the world’s apex organization for Animal Health came into effect at the OIE’s headquarter at its 77^thGeneral Session held at Paris on 28^th May, 2009. With this event, HSADL becomes the third OIE-recognized reference lab for avian influenza in Asia after Japan and China and 9^th in the world.