World Rabies Day: UVAS holds awareness walk, vaccination camp

LAHORE:The faculty of Veterinary Science of the University of Veterinary and Animal Sciences (UVAS) arranged an awareness walk and vaccination camp to mark World Rabies Day with the theme of “Breaking Rabies Boundaries” to create awareness among public against rabies at City Campus on Friday.

UVAS Vice Chancellor Prof Dr M Younus led the walk which started from the VC Office and culminated at the Pet Centre after taking a round of City Campus. Dean Faculty of Veterinary Science Prof Dr Aneela Zameer Durrani, Chairman Department of Parasitology Prof Dr Kamran Ashraf, Registrar Sajjad Hyder, directors, chairpersons from different departments, students from Vets Care Club (VCC), Vet Crescent Society (VCS), Special Animals and Veterinary Emergency Relief Society (SAVERS) participated in the walk.

Meanwhile, UVAS Pet Centre also arranged a free rabies vaccination camp to mark the day. Prof Dr M Younus opened the camp by vaccinating a pet cat. The purpose of the activity was to educate people, vaccinate pets and eliminate rabies from the country. Similar activities were also arranged at other campuses of the UVAS. Meanwhile, a Poultry Science Conference was also held at the UVAS as part of International Poultry Expo (PSC-IPEX) 2024 on Friday.

Prof Dr M Younus presided over the inaugural session of the conference while a large number of academicians from different universities, researchers, veterinarians, professionals, scientists from veterinary, animal sciences, medical sciences, public health, environmental sciences and stakeholders from poultry industries, teachers & students, national and international experts from different countries attending the conference. Prof Dr Younus said that the poultry sector was one of the most vibrant segments and second largest industry in Pakistan after textile. He said poultry sector provided employment to over 1.5 million people and contribute vital role in the national economy of Pakistan. He said it is direly needed to conduct research on different issues related to climate change, disease outbreak, pollution, genetically modified organism (GMO), soybean production and quality vaccine to curb poultry sector issues.

Abdul Basit called upon the govt to solve GMO issues at the earliest and demanded for maximum production of soybean in Pakistan. He advised students to learn about entrepreneurial skills and after getting education must start their own businesses.

Earlier, Abdul Haye Mehta informed that the main objectives of the conference were to provide a platform to bring together academia, researchers, poultry farmers/professionals, industrialists where national and international experts share their research work, knowledge and experience for the uplift of poultry sector.

During poultry science conference, many experts delivered their lectures on different topics related to salmonella control in poultry, innovative food traceability solutions, vaccine against avian influenza, novel strategies, machine vision system for early detection of sick bird, genome editing a promising tool to promote poultry production and examine poultry infection etc.