Foot and Mouth Disease Research Centre Lahore – FMD Research Centre Lahore

The Foot and Mouth Disease Research Centre Lahore (FMD Research Centre Lahore) is a dedicated research center of Livestock and Dairy Development Punjab for research on Foot and Mouth Disease. It works under the Directorate General Research of the Livestock Department Punjab.  It focuses on FMD vaccine (Food and Mouth Disease Vaccine) production, diagnostics, and training activities for the control of FMD in animals.

In 1964, it was established as a section of the Veterinary Research Institute, Lahore. In 2001, the Centre was granted financial and administrative autonomy. It has been working on cell culture vaccine production since 1978.

Objectives of FMD Research Centre 

• The Centre’s operations are driven by its core objectives:
• Production of FMD Vaccine (Food and Mouth Disease Vaccine) and FMD hyperimmune serum
• Diagnostics and research on Foot and Mouth Disease and FMD Outbreaks
• Training and Capacity Building of In-service Veterinary Doctors and paraveterinary Staff

All about Punjab Livestock Department 

Research, Innovation, and Training

The Foot and Mouth Disease Research Centre Lahore is committed to research and innovation to control Foot and Mouth Disease. It works on virus typing and matching field isolates with vaccine strains to ensure the production of effective vaccines. This research is particularly significant due to high mutation rate of the FMD virus. Besides research, FMD Research Centre Lahore also provides training to veterinary doctors, paravets, and farmers.

Sections at FMD Research Centre

Media & Sterilization Section

This section prepares different media for FMD Vaccine (Food and Mouth Disease Vaccine) production. Moreover, Quality Control and Research & Development are also the functions of this section. It also carries out washing and sterilization of glassware, equipment, lab ware etc.

Cell Culture Section

Maintenance of sufficient seed stocks of BHK Cells and Propagation of BHK Cell to be used for FMD virus culture are the main functions of this section

Virus Culture Section

This section maintains the sufficient working seed stocks of FMD virus type “O”, “A” and “Asia-1”.  It propagates FMD virus types O, A and Asia1 for FMD vaccine production. It also works on in-activation of the FMD virus stocks.

Vaccine Filling & Bottling Section

Formulation, filling, labeling and packing of FMD Vaccine (Food and Mouth Disease Vaccine) are the main functions of this section. It maintains the Batch Manufacturing Record (BMRs). Operation and maintenance of water treatment unit for supply of R.O/Distilled water is also its function.

R&D and Quality Control Section

This section of Foot and Mouth Disease Research Centre Lahore apply quality tests on wet material and finished FMD vaccine like safety, sterility, innocuity test, TCID50, and serology trials through ELISA, SNT etc. It also conducts allied research activities including Adaptation of field isolates of FMD virus on cell line, molecular characterization/sequencing of field isolates for sub-typing and vaccine matching studies (r-1 test). Operation & maintenance of 146-S for quality testing of FMD Vaccine and Development of virus bank/cell bank are also the functions of this section. Moreover, it maintains the experimental animal’s colony.  It also formulates allied research projects with the collaboration of production sections.

Products of FMD Research Centre

• Foot and Mouth Disease Vaccine (FMD Vaccine)
• FMD Hyper immune Serum

Contact FMD Research Center

Foot and Mouth Disease Research Centre
Barki Road, Lahore
Tel. 042-37134000
Cell. 03216284540

Editor In Chief

Dr. Jassar Aftab is a qualified Veterinarian having expertise in veterinary communication. He is a renowned veterinary Journalist of Pakistan. He is veterinary columnist, veterinary writer and veterinary analyst. He is the author of three books. He has written a number of articles and columns on different topics related to livestock, dairy, poultry, wildlife, fisheries, food security and different aspects of animal sciences and veterinary education.

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