A project titled "A Diagnostic Tool (Tetra ARMS PCR) to Differentiate Porcine Parvovirus Types and Using Computational Methods for Analyzing Their Emergence" has been sanctioned by the Department of Biotechnology (DBT), Government of India, amounting to ?29 lakhs for the Department of Veterinary Microbiology at Guru Angad Dev Veterinary and Animal Sciences University, Ludhiana.
Dr. J.P.S. Gill, Vice Chancellor underscored the significance of the pig industry and the diseases affecting it. He congratulated Dr. Gurpreet Kaur, the Principal Investigator, along with Co-Principal Investigators Dr. Mudit Chandra, Dr. Deepti Narang, and Dr. Mousumi Bora.
Dr. A.K. Arora, Director of Research also commended the team, highlighting the crucial need for research on pig diseases. The project aims to address a critical virus affecting the pig population in Punjab, where commercial pig farming has become a highly lucrative venture.
Viral diseases that compromise the reproductive system of pigs pose significant challenges, resulting in substantial economic losses to farmers due to fetal mortality and infertility in sows. The research team will develop a novel diagnostic assay to enable early and rapid diagnosis of this disease. Additionally, the project will investigate the emergence of the virus within the pig population, aiding in the control of its spread.
