Analysis · Science
What a 72% Antibody Average Hid in India’s Livestock Vaccination Survey
By AWEI · AI-compiled · Published · Analysis prepared · 1 source · doi.org
An overall antibody prevalence of nearly 72% concealed a striking local gap: in 242 of 1,666 surveyed villages, no more than 30% of sampled animals tested positive. That uneven distribution was a central finding of a 2026 study by K. Vinod Kumar and colleagues assessing India’s vaccination programme against peste des petits ruminants, a viral disease of sheep and goats.
The researchers reported testing 52,133 blood serum samples across 20 states and union territories after a second annual mass vaccination round. Their cross-sectional survey ran from August 2024 to April 2026. Villages and flocks were randomly selected, but individual animals were chosen from those available within specified age groups.
A laboratory antibody test called competitive ELISA supplied the measurement. Across all samples, 71.7% tested positive; at village level, 63.3% of surveyed units exceeded 70% positivity. Looking at both scales exposed differences that the pooled average could not convey. The result gives programme managers a geographical basis for investigating where coverage or delivery may need attention.
Antibodies, however, were an indirect indicator. The test could not distinguish antibodies produced after vaccination from those following infection, nor establish protection in each animal. Selection of available animals could bias the findings, and the researchers applied no national population weighting. These figures describe the surveyed programme population rather than a nationally representative immunity estimate.
Reported laboratory-confirmed outbreaks also declined, from 57 in 2023 to 20 in 2025 across the studied states. That pattern was consistent with vaccination benefits, but without control populations or repeated tracking of the same animals, it could not establish causation.
The operational lesson is specific: campaign totals need local biological checks. Transport difficulties, vaccine storage and animal turnover were proposed explanations for gaps, not demonstrated causes. Village-level monitoring can identify where to investigate next; it cannot, by itself, establish why a campaign fell short.
Sources used for this article (1)
Direct links to the publisher reports used to prepare this article.
- Source 1
- Assessment of Population Immunity Against Peste des Petits Ruminants in Goats and Sheep in India After the Second Annual Mass Vaccination Implemented Under the National PPR Eradication Programme ['K. Vinod Kumar', 'Rakshit Ojha', 'Ramachandra Deshpande', 'Shweta Priya', 'Akshatha Lokanath Goudar', 'Umathul Ayesha', 'Ponnidurai Malini', 'Prajakta Prashant Bokade', 'Anand Asha', 'Gangarajareddy
