Thu Jan 02 14:58:41 UTC 2025: ## World Organisation for Animal Health Lab Opens in Bengaluru to Combat Leptospirosis
**Bengaluru, January 2, 2025** – A new World Organisation for Animal Health (WoAH) Reference Laboratory for Leptospirosis was inaugurated today at the ICAR National Institute of Veterinary Epidemiology and Disease Informatics (NIVEDI) campus in Ramagondanahalli, Yelahanka. The lab, housed within NIVEDI’s advanced Biosafety Laboratory, aims to combat the globally significant zoonotic disease caused by Leptospira bacteria.
The inauguration was performed by Himanshu Pathak, Secretary of the Department of Agriculture Research and Education (DARE) and Director General of the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR). The event also marked the opening of the Hoof and Health Gate, a shared entrance for ICAR-NIVEDI and ICAR-IVRI’s Bengaluru regional campus.
Leptospirosis poses a considerable public health challenge, particularly in areas with high infection rates. The new laboratory represents a major step forward in controlling this re-emerging disease. ICAR-NIVEDI Director Baldev R. Gulati highlighted the institute’s accomplishments during the year at the inauguration.
First Piper 