The Bangalore-based Project Directorate on Animal Disease Monitoring and Surveillance (PDADMAS) has developed a Web-based interactive software to predict livestock diseases two months in advance in the country. PDADMAS functions under the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) and has been forecasting animal diseases. Diseases As part of this project, 15 economically-important livestock diseases such as Anthrax, Babesiosis, Bluetongue, Black Quarter, Contagious Caprine Pleuro-prenumonia, Enterotoxaemia, Fascioliasis, Food and Mouth Disease, Haemonhagic Septicemia, Pestes des petits ruminants, Rabies, Sheep and Goat Pox, Swine fever, Theileriasis and Trypanosomiasis have been included. “Through active interaction with the National Animal Disease Referral Expert System (NADRES) programme, a Web-enabled system based on interactive relational software wherein the probable occurrence of economically important livestock diseases has been developed,” said Dr. H. Rehman, Director, PDADMAS- Bangalore. “The software predicts the occurrence of disease two months in advance at district level and can alert the respective state animal husbandry departments for preventive actions,” he added. Livestock census According to the 18th Livestock Census, 2007 India possess 530 million livestock, which includes 199.08 million cattle, 105.34 million buffaloes, 71.5 million sheep, 140.5 million goats, 11.34 million pigs, 0.61 million horses and ponies, 0.57 million mules and donkeys, 0.52 million camels, 0.08 million yaks, 0.26 million mithun besides 489 million poultry. The country tops the list with respect to buffalo, second in cattle and goats, third in sheep and fifth in poultry population in comparison to the world livestock and poultry population. Total livestock population in the country has increased from 292.8 million in 1951 to 530 million in 2007 at the rate of 1.06 per cent. As the disease outbreak prediction is made two months ahead of occurrence of the diseases, the authorities concerned, can rule preventive measures by various means such as vaccination, prophylactic treatments and other control measures. This helps the farmers to save their livestock and their livelihood income which provides economic benefits to them. The disease forecasting service is being provided through the Web site (www.nadres.res.in) and also information is given to the directors of concerned state departments. This information is in turn passed on to the veterinary officers of the villages concerned and also farmers are alerted to take necessary preventive measures. The forecasting of livestock disease is done for all the States and districts.