India rehearses response to foot-and-mouth strain SAT-1, which has not reached the country

India has rehearsed how it would respond if a foot-and-mouth disease strain known as SAT-1 reached the country. The strain has not been reported in India.

The Department of Animal Husbandry and Dairying, with the ICAR-National Institute of Veterinary Epidemiology and Disease Informatics (NIVEDI) in Bengaluru, ran a two-day tabletop exercise called "VAJRA-SAT" on 4 and 5 November 2026. Its theme was "Detect Early, Confirm Fast, Contain Together."

Who took part

There were 83 participants from 25 States, three Union Territories and national institutions, including state animal husbandry departments, ICAR institutes, veterinary labs and universities, vaccine makers, and defence and border guarding agencies. Animal Husbandry Commissioner Dr Naveena B. M. opened the exercise.

Why now

The ministry says SAT-1 has spread beyond Africa to parts of West Asia, so the exercise was a precaution to protect livestock health and farmers' livelihoods.

Using simulated outbreaks, participants worked through early detection, laboratory confirmation, epidemiological investigation, animal movement control, emergency vaccination, risk communication and coordinated response.

Recommendations

The closing session, chaired by Additional Secretary Rama Shankar Sinha, stressed timely reporting, rapid lab confirmation, surveillance, movement control, vaccine preparedness, inter-state coordination and stronger diagnostic capacity, including regional FMD laboratories and Regional Disease Diagnostic Laboratories, with technical support from ICAR-NIFMD.

Photos

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Source: official release by the Ministry of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry & Dairying, issued through the Press Information Bureau, Government of India (06 NOV 2026 12:56PM by PIB Delhi). Read the full official text: National Exercise ‘VAJRA-SAT’ Concludes at Bengaluru, Strengthening India's Preparedness for Foot-and-Mouth Disease.