India, April 7 -- In a significant boost for animal health and zoonotic disease control in Maharashtra, two advanced laboratories with bio-safety level 3 (BSL-3) and bio-safety level 2 (BSL-2) will be operational at the Bharatratna Atal Bihari Vajpayee Western Region Disease Diagnosis Laboratory, Pune, from next month, said officials.

Sheetalkumar Mukane, joint commissioner, animal husbandry, said the new lab will be operational next month and has been funded by the central government.

"These labs spread across a 51,000 sq feet area have world-class equipment such as RT-PCR machines, gene sequencers, and modern blood testing systems, allowing fast and accurate testing of animal disease samples. It will cater to the states of Maharashtra...