Jiva June 2011 9.1 by magnus paul

Vol. 9

Issue 1 April 2011

ISSN 0975-5195

www.jivaonline.net

JIVA JIVA

JOURNAL

OF INDIAN VETERINARY ASSOCIATION, KERALA

WORLD VETERINARY YEAR

"Vet for Health, Vet forFood, Vet for the Planet''

Vol. 9 Issue 1 April 2011

ISSN 0975-5195

JIVA JOURNAL OF INDIAN VETERINARY ASSOCIATION, KERALA AN OFFICIAL ORGAN OF INDIAN VETERINARY ASSOCIATION, KERALA www.jivaonline.net

EDITORIAL BOARD Chairman Dr. K. R. Arun Kumar, B.V.Sc & A.H. Convener Dr. E. K. Easwaran, B.V.Sc & A.H.

Chief Editor Dr. K. Vijayakumar, M.V.Sc.,Ph.D Editor Dr. Laiju M. Philip, M.V.Sc.

Associate Editors Dr. Hiron M Harshan, M.V.Sc.,Ph.D Dr. Bindya Liz Abraham, M.V.Sc.,Ph.D Members Dr. P. P. Bineesh. M.V.Sc Dr. K. Magnus Paul, M.V.Sc. Dr. V. Suma, B.V.Sc & A.H. Dr. Harinarayanan, M.V.Sc. INDEXED IN EBSCO, SCOPEMED AND INDEX COPERNICUS INTERNATIONAL

JOURNAL OF INDIAN VETERINARY ASSOCIATION, KERALA (JIVA)

Journal of Indian Veterinary Association, Kerala (JIVA), the official organ of Indian Veterinary Association, Kerala is a quarterly scientific periodical with international status (ISSN-0975-5195) which bring about the latest updates in Veterinary Medicine and Animal Husbandry Practices. The journal covers almost all topics of Dairying and Animal Husbandry besides special emphasis on Companion Animal Medicine and Surgery, Zoo and Wildlife Medicine, Meat and Feed industry, Diagnostics and Bioinformatics. The Journal JIVA is in wide circulation among all stakeholders of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Husbandry sector including the Veterinary Professionals working with Animal Husbandry Department, Kerala Agricultural University, Kerala Livestock Development Board, Milma, Techno Park, Veterinary and Medical Research Institutes of the country. The Online edition is available at www.jivaonline.net JIVA is indexed in EBSCO (World's Foremost Premium Research Database Service), SCOPE MED (International Medical Journal Management and Indexing System) and INDEX COPERNICUS INTERNATIONAL from 2010 onwards.

Guidelines to Authors 1. 2. 3. 4.

5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. 11.

12.

For publishing in the journal, article may be sent by email to editorjiva@gmail.com or laijuphilip@rediffmail.com Article may be sent typewritten in double space in A4 size paper. Review article, Research article from all fields of veterinary and animal sciences, Clinical Article/ Case Reports and General Article are invited. Research Article and Clinical article may be in the following format; t Title t Author(s) t Designation tAbstract t Keywords t Introduction t Materials and methods t Result t Discussion t Acknowledgment t References t Contact details of Communicating Author Title of the article should be clear and concise. Introduction should clearly state the purpose/ aim/ objective of the article. Authors and their affiliations should be mentioned below the title. Word limit for Research and General Article is 2000 words, including tables, graphs etc. Word limit for Clinical Article/ Case Report is 1500 words, including tables, graphs etc. Tables, photographs, graphs etc. should bear the reference number (table 1, table 2 etc) and the title. References should be arranged in alphabetical order and numbered. Reference should be given in the format; Name of the author(s), followed by year (in parenthesis), Title, Name of the Journal, Volume, Issue and Page Number. Eg. Vegad, J.L. (2008). Bird flu- an overview: JIVA: 8(1):1-11 Articles are accepted on the understanding that these have neither been published nor submitted for publication in any other journal/ publication either in part or in full.

FOR COMMUNICATION Chief Editor : +919495900300 Editor

PUBLISHER General Secretary Email: vijikumaran@yahoo.com For Indian Veterinary Association, Kerala : +919447996512 Veterinarian's Building editorjiva@gmail.com, TC 25/2068, Dharmalayam Road laijuphilip@rediffmail.com Thiruvananthapuram- 695 001 Printed at : Micro Printers, Mannarkkad, 04924-224318

JOURNAL OF INDIAN VETERINARY ASSOCIATION, KERALA Vol. 9 Issue 1 April 2011

CONTENTS THEME TOPICS 1.

Healing Ourselves to Gain Heights ....................................................................................................5 Dr. B. Ashok IAS CLINICAL REPORT

World Veterinary Year: The Renewed Mission for The Profession . ..................................................8 Prof. (Dr.) Rama Kumar, V

RESEARCH ARTICLES 3.

Observations on the Spinal Nerve Roots in Goat Foetuses ..............................................................15 S. Maya, J. J. Chungath, K. R. Harshan and N. Ashok

Comparison of Bacteriologic Culture, Dark Field Microscopy and PCR for Detection of Leptospira in Biomaterials...........................................................................................18 A. Dhannia, V. Jayaprakash, G. Krishnan Nair and M. Mini.

Radioprotection by Curcumin on DNA Damage of Blood Cells in Ducks ( Anas platyrhyncos domesticus) ......................................................................................................21 Ramnath V., Aziz Zarina, Beena V. And Sureshkumar P

Effect of Surgical Stress on Physiological, Haematological and Biochemical Parameters in Elective Canine Ovariohysterectomy .......................................................................25 Laiju, M.P., Devanand, C. B., and Sarada Amma, T.

Morphological Studies on The Liver of Sambar Deer (Cervus Unicolor) .......................................28 A. R. Sreeranjini , C. V. Rajani and N. Ashok

Incidence of Salmonella spp. in Meat and Marine Products in Kochi ............................................31 Sreeja. S and Salilkutty

Distribution of Lymphoid Tissue in the Oviduct of Japanese Quail (coturnix Coturnix Japonica) K. M. Lucy and K. R. Harshan..........................................................................................................33

CLINICAL REPORTS 10. Right Heart Disease in an Adult Dog: a Case Study.........................................................................36 T. Rajeev and P.R. Umashankar 11. Mesenteric Torsion in a Dog.............................................................................................................40 Joseph Cyrus, Basavanagowda M. T., Shahid Vaseem S. A., and Md. Abasid Hussain 12. Galoncus Perniciosus Infestation in a Zoo Tiger. ............................................................................42 Jacob Alexander, Abdul Salam, S., Madhavan Pillai, K. and Divakaran Nair, N 13. Pyometra in a Lioness- a Case Report ..............................................................................................44 Swapna, S.A., Julie,B., Jayakumar, C.S. 14. Cervicotomy Approach for Dystocia Due to Imperfect Cervical Dilatation (ICD) in a Cow ........45 T. Sathiamoorthy, S. Balasubramanian, S. Rangasamy, A. Raja and S.A. Asokan 15. Classical Swine Fever Cases in North Kerala During the Period from 2006-2010..........................47 Chintu Ravishankar, Jini George and Koshy John

16. Paralytic Ileus due to Amphistomosis in a Cow .............................................................................48 S. Yogeshpriya, S. Ajithkumar, V. Dhanesh, Roshna Rasheed Kutty, and P. C. Alex 17. Babesia bigemina Infection in a Twenty Day Old Calf ...................................................................49 Sunitha Karunakaran, UshaNarayana Pillai, Asha Merina Kuriakose, Aswathy. G, Rajimon. K.T and Sumangala.M 18. EEHV Like Haemorrhagic Myocarditis in a Wild Asian Elephant (Elephas maximus)..................51 Magnus Paul Kakkassery, Sunilkumar.V, Arun Zacharia, Lali Francis Anand andPradeep Kumar, P. R 19. Treatment of Canine Dermatomycosis using Fluconazole ...............................................................53 P.P Bineesh , B Ananthapadmanabhan, W Shahjahan and K R Geetha 20. Renal Calculi in a Cow .................................................................................................................54 P. Biju 21. Complement Fixation Test Based Detection of Mycoplasma capricolum sub. spp. capripneumoniae Antibodies in the Serum of Goats.....................................................................................................55 Deneke,Y., Misrak,N., Deb,R.and Mathew, D. D.

GENERAL ARTICLES 22. Obstructive Urolithiasis in Dogs: Advances in Diagnosis and Management .................................56 Sarada Amma .T, Sheeja, V.M., Rajankutty.K, John Martin K.D and Usha N.Pillai. 23. Lateral Flow Assays In Veterinary Diagnosis ..................................................................................60 V I Bishor and Faisal Siyavudeen 24. Embryo Sexing- Recent Approaches in Domestic Animals .............................................................62 Pratheesh M.D, Harish C, Radhika Syam and Anoopraj.R 25. Effect of Dietary Supplementation of Organic Chromium in Lactating Cows.................................64 Hareesh P. S. 26. Pulse Oximetry - Principles and Clinical Applications in Veterinary Practice ................................66 M.K. Narayanan and K. Rajankutty 27. Wagyu Beef- the Finest and Most Flavorful Beef in The World. ....................................................68 A. V. Shibu 28. Strategies to Overcome Antimicrobial Resistance in Veterinary Practice ........................................70 Nisha. A. R, Vineetha. C. B, Sreelekha .k. P And Dhanya. V. R World Veterinary Year - 2011...................................................................................................................73 Reminiscence - Veterinarians Annual Convention 2010.........................................................................74 Association News.....................................................................................................................................75

The editor/editorial board and referees are in no way responsible individually or collectively for the views, data and technical details presented in the contributed papers

THEME TOPIC

HEALING OURSELVES TO GAIN HEIGHTS Dr. B. Ashok IAS Vice Chancellor, Kerala Veterinary and Animal Sciences University, Pookot, Wayanad

(1)

Generic crisis resulting from under funding and lack of quality control due to failures in regulation at ICAR and VCI level (please see my article 'Link Labs to the Fields' available in http://www.hindustantimes.com/Link-labs-tothe-fields/Article1-678286.aspx).

(2)

Specific academic management issues like poor or no assessment of teaching, research or extension; stiff resistance to accept any sort of accountability mechanisms often linked to administrative issues.

(3)

Student centric issues like less interested students, low self esteem, candidate capability insensitive employment patterns leading to low incentives for academic achievement and a larger than requisite focus on extra curricular activities.

Contact Address : Office of the Director of Dairy Development, Pattom, Thiruvanathapuram, Kerala Tele Fax : +914712550058

Mannuthy officials told me initially that routine repair funds were not being given, but discussions with KAU revealed that they were neither being sought timely nor followed up adequately. In Veterinary Faculty itself enterprising heads of units have been able to attract even non-KAU funding. A pervasive bureaucratic culture of dealing with teachers and students with negativism and contempt has come to stay. To my mind the present crisis come from this severely short sighted leadership we have unfortunately had. Part of the remedy is to usher systematic reforms in the selection process of leaders - Heads of Departments, Directors and Deans. We need to bring in more turnover, limited firm tenures and overall more competitiveness in selection of leaders. HODs and Deans need to be in rotation and with clear administrative oversight from the officers of the University. We cannot afford a weak or disinterested leadership. They will leave a trail of nemesis and it would take a decade to rebuild even the work culture of the organization. 5

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In my very recent experience, Veterinary and Animal Science education in our State suffers from deficiencies of three speciations.

I will prefer to address the last two here since we are in a position to address them mostly by ourselves. Nearly the entire issues in Veterinary Education spring from inadequate faculty development. I don't think that all of it was due to neglect of Veterinary Education in the Kerala Agricultural University. There was parallel leadership failure in the Veterinary faculty. How else do we explain the near total decay of basic infrastructure in Mannuthy the mother campus in comparison with either Horticulture College or our own Wayanad College?

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In my experience the stark contrast a modern Western University offers to the old Indian average one is that the former invariably occupies a critical place in the future. They are vibrant experiments in the future than obsolete places from the past. Very few Indian Universities come across as such ''places in the future''. The modern Western Universities guide even their governments, change policies and are producers and distributors of knowledge. In this aspect we do have some success but I think we are, by and large, lagging behind. I will address specifics now.

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Leadership needs to be totally proactive, committed, strong and apolitical. Caste-religiouscommunal neutrality is critical to effectiveness. If the Deans and HODs are perceived to be objective, proactive and result oriented, then the teachers get automatically motivated. Deserving young researchers are there and they need hand holding and encouragement. Deficits in infrastructure need to be addressed then and there through annual maintenance works before they fulminate into full blown crisis.

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When I visited Mannuthy many years later this January, I found that possibly students don't have even adequate functional toilet facility in campus. These are small but highly important things. Officers were not possibly reviewing the status of very routine repairs. I must say that even the College office looked pathetically out of maintenance. For me these things are very important. I insist on spic and span offices and facilities. They reflect capability without uttering a word. Some things need not be said, they have to be demonstrated. I found that we have not insisted on points based assessment system for career advancement so far while implementing the UGC pay scales. Similarly, Indian Veterinary Council's Teachers' assessment modules and instructions have been quietly shelved. The new University will have to insist on these. We cannot escape the requisite accountability matrix. In Government all officers have to go through some sort of performance evaluation. As a budget supported institution now getting GoI's budget support as well, we will have to demonstrate these elements of accountability. ICAR is going to insist on teacher assessment as part of support and continued accreditation of our courses. We must have all teachers assessed through 360 degree system by year end and throughout. Some opposition is bound to come, but we cannot be pioneers if we wait for ever. GoI has awarded the one time assistance grant since they 6

assess us to be a centre of excellence and not a laggard who implements reforms last. When my career was attacked recently as being merely clerical, the biggest defence was the very encouraging and sometimes critical comments my superior colleagues wrote on me during the last thirteen years of a diverse career. Accountability and leadership go together. One stems from the other. With systematic reforms, an ICT based high speed networked administration and manpower training in academic management issues, these are easier to handle provided an acceptance of change is there. Re-establishing the lost primacy of student centric teaching is critical. Mind set change is the biggest challenge for the academic community. I found a stark difference in attitude and speed in Wayanad than Mannuthy. Too many interpersonal issues are floating around. I must say that we have been very juvenile in handling these with maturity. Many of us have become compulsive complainants. Almost everybody is a rather wounded animal. We would point to our scars and complain endlessly of past unfair treatment. New Institution or an individual cannot heal the past. Cure lies in a better future. For that academic leaders must behave as if there is indeed a future they shape. Sometimes taking the team synergistically forward is like taking children through a forest! I am afraid too much focus is on “MONEY MATTERS”. All conversations with academicians end in percentiles of DA and possible decimal differences and “ARREARS” in huge letters. What about the lost teaching and research opportunities? To cite an example, we produced just 36 PhDs in the last 10 years while we could have comfortably done 200. As a result we have a vicious circle where we don't have qualified teachers to recruit. What could be the social cost of this lapse? Today we don't have enough teachers even to man the requirement of present teaching load. When deputations to fill it up temporarily were considered, masters students wanted vacancies to exist till they graduate. How can we develop an aggressive research agenda without infusing enough numbers even to

THEME TOPIC

teach? We need to be flexible and must allow near perfect solutions. There are no silver bullets in this game.

are on and for many days academic activity is suspended. This has to be reduced to the bare minimum.

Nobody has any concrete answers. My general request to academics is to get back to their core competencies research, teach, publish, extend. They are not really strong elsewhere, and that has been proven time and gain. When they dabble in administration they generally fail and politics makes them still bigger failures. They are best with their core area, which they do admirably well when they are focused. Students have slipped quite a bit. Though we are better off comparatively than many States, mature civilized life. the uneven quality of post graduates and even final year graduates was clear in my brief interactions with them. They are not readily employable. PGs need to strengthen basic manners while interacting with a selection board. Here too we are at fault. A College or University is not a place where just some knowledge transfer takes place. It reaches a raw individual some mature civilized life.

University plans to introduce a Screening Aptitude Test for its graduate programmes. Without students with a basic aptitude coming in, neither education nor profession will flourish. The physical plans and new courses are all too easy to achieve if we arrive at an atmosphere of all round positivity in the first year. As a new institution, many road blocks have to be overcome deftly.

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Money is not going to be the binding constraint in this gallop. It is going to be ignited minds that we will be possibly short of demand. Mediocrity and negative thoughts are not welcome in this effort at all. We need to purge them for a vibrant institution harbouring the best Veterinary and Animal Science education in the country if not entire South Asia and counted very highly in the global map of education in our sector.

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All round tightening of instruction and academic standards are required. I am told that allegations of severe academic dilution do exist. Teachers come under pressure to change grades of even failed students. This rot shall be definitely stamped out. Academic process has to be insulated from any sort of student organizational or external interest. It takes much more than sheer theoretical knowledge to be respected as a professional. From this year onwards finishing training and conditioning will be given to final years. Altogether I think too much of extracurricular activities

I believe that the VC's role is to mentor and empower not to rule. We need to find and inspire at least a dozen leaders who are going to make the elements of the plan for development a big success. Some I have already spotted, some I am looking for. I have been a fairly successful spotter. Coming May we start an intensive manhunt for talent that will take the university into its next level. They will hopefully emerge as the new leaders of KVASU in the next ten years. A very scientific assessment and screening process is underway.

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WORLD VETERINARY YEAR: THE RENEWED MISSION FOR THE PROFESSION Prof. (Dr.) Rama Kumar, V. Former Secretary, Veterinary Council of India

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The year 2011 is being observed as the World Veterinary Year in recognition of the 250th year of the foundation of the world's first veterinary school (modern system) in Lyon, France, in 1761. The second school was the Alfort veterinary school, near Paris, in 1764. Both schools were established at the initiative of the French veterinarian Claude Bourgelat. FAO, together with the European Union, is one of the principal institutional partners for this year of commemoration organized by the VET 2011 committee, a body that brings together all the national veterinary organizations that have adhered to World Veterinary Year. The slogan adopted for this year of celebration is "Vet for health”. “Vet for food” & “Vet for the planet!” The motto evokes all the important roles that veterinarians in the community. When we get closer, we find that each of the components is dependent on the other two. For example, Good Food and environment are essential elements of good health. Food production would be optimal only if it is from healthy animals grown in good environment. Harmony among man, animal and nature is essential to sustain the planet [we essentially discuss only the biosphere] But principle managing the motto may vary from region to region. Mass production is the system of food production in the west while in India it is production by the masses. The issues that concern the western world and India are different. In the "south" the primary cause of environmental degradation is poverty and under-development whilst in the "North" it is unsustainable life-style and over-development. 8

VET FOR FOOD Food security exists when all people at all times have access to the staple food for a healthy active life. Staple food is the food that is eaten regularity in such quantities as to constitute dominant part of diet. In the Indian sub-continent the staple crops are Rice, Banana, bean, and cow pea, citrus, cucumber, egg plant, mango, mustard, and sugar cane. Growing awareness on protein need, complimented by the rising cost of food grains and vegetables, has shifted the preference of the consumer in India to animal products like milk, eggs, fish and meat. Food safety is an integral part of food security and can be influenced by production and method of collecting/ harvesting, processing etc.. Method for hazard analysis and identification of critical control points (HACCP) is important. Such methods must be feasible, relevant and affordable to the end user. The cost of safety, disproportionate to the risk involved may not find favour among the community especially the poor. Unfavourable factor is productivity in animal production or processing may tempt adulteration of food. Apart from being a source of protein rich food animals in India ensure a regular income to the poorest and marginalized for whom seasonal labour demand is a major economic handicap (available only for 90-100 days in a year). Measures like 'free bees' or food grains at nominal cost may enhance access but could never enable economic production or empowerment. It is alleged that it tends to reduce the survival skill of the Present Address: Laxmi Bhawan, (EVRA-400), Eswari Vilasom Road, Trivandrum - Kerala - 695014 Phone : 0471-320773 Email : drramakumarv@gmail.com ramkumarjaya@rediffmail.com

THEME TOPIC

Apart from providing protein rich food for a healthy living (physical health), livestock in India are a source of indulgence and companionship (mental health) for the community who raise animals in millions of small holdings in their backyards. “Studies show that people of all ages who own pets are more likely to exercise and to be more involved socially. Raised essentially on crop residues and common property resources animal products are close to being organic, which has a. higher market. However, since animals in India are reared in close human proximity, it is important to keep animals free from diseases especially the ones transmissible to man. Frequent trans-global transportation of animals & biologicals (semen, embryo, vaccines etc.) necessitate stringent technical regulations to ward off exotic disease from entering the country. In developed countries the major thrust of livestock production has taken place when most of the contagious and infectious disease had been eradicated by rigorous laws and regulations and by adopting a mass slaughter and burial policy. But, import of animals and transport of biomaterials from across the world has introduced newer diseases to India

A number of emerging diseases of livestock and poultry especially Zoonotic diseases have been introduced, diagnosed and established in India during the last four decades. Studies of Zoonoses generally focus on man, with diseases transmitted from man to animal being discussed less. In India animals are cultural elements essential for life and the rearing system is different from the west where livestock are in organized farms away from human dwelling. Development in those countries began, after STAMPING OUT. So, the measures of food safety of east and west are not comparable. But control of zoonoses has to be pragmatically planned through a synergy among veterinary, plant and medical scientists. For the effective control of rabies, Animal Birth Control (ABC) program need be undertaken as a part and parcel of it Since zoonotic pathogens are a constant threat and make up nine of the top 10 germ warfare agents, a special monitoring system is needed. With the trans-boundary barriers being pulled down (following a new World Trade Order WTO) many diseases of animals including zoonotic ones could be introduced to any country from any country (through man or animals) if public health, veterinary preparedness and bio-safety measures are not effective Mental Health Ethologists, psychiatrists and psychologists feel that veterinary professionals who are accountable to the community for their decisions, 9

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VET FOR HEALTH

Though veterinary public health does not find a mention in the “Food Safety Act” recently enacted by the Parliament, there is scope to include it in the regulations that may get approved soon. Close man animal interaction in built in Indian animal rearing system need be identified and considered in the context of regulation as diseases transmissible from man to animal can be a potential threat to community. Similar risk involved in processing and storing of dried fish, fish meal etc.

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low economic strata and makes them lethargic if not irresponsible. Another major handicap of the present 'food for all' policy is that it has at no stage has it considered food or feed of animals as part of food security. This often leads to diversion of food grains to feed animals as subsidized food grains. These food grains are far cheaper than compounded feed or other feed components like oil cakes. The advantage of traditional AH system of “animals not competing with man for food” is often lost sight of in a haste to adopt the western system of animal production 'as such'. The western system where hardly 3% of the population is involved in food production may not be comparable to Indian system where 64-70% of the population is involved. Animal husbandry has the involvement of the poor economic class and their perspective may have to be considered in framing our food policies.

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actions and consequence thereof, will also have to play a role to ensure that animal rights and sustainability are taken care of scientifically (not merely by human perception). For this, one has to address (ie. by monitoring and balancing) the needs and behavior of man, animal and environment, so that a harmony can be maintained. Here there is an urgent need to reckon the critical control points that inadvertently subject animals to behavoural stress. Management of post duty (post performance) stress in elephants, police dogs or army dogs and frequent isolation of domestic pets are not discussed as commonly as grooming, good food and comfort, within the shelter/room. Working elephants or dogs which are called to perform in the midst of crowd, search, reconnaissance or combat, need the same opportunity for mental relaxation, Comfort and indulgence as the mahout, cop or soldier who handle them during the work. While the owner, handler or mahout hurries to his cubicle or family to relax after a strenuous day's work the elephants/dogs/pets are â&#x20AC;&#x153;dumpedâ&#x20AC;? in their chains/ kennels/ pens in isolation, impeding any opportunity for their mental or behavioral relaxation.

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VET FOR THE PLANET As already stated that Harmony among man, animal and nature is essential to sustain the planet. This harmony being among the living beings we may discuss only the biosphere and not the entire planet. BIOSPHERE consists of Atmosphere (a layer of 8Km of air on the earth surface, Lithosphere (solid earth/ land and hydrosphere up to 80,000 meters deep. This is in fact a thin layer of earth where life is observed so far(?). We mentioned that it is a harmony of needs of Man, animal and nature that sustains life. Though hunting and animal rearing were the first vocation of mankind, it is in agriculture and the settled life that man started exploiting nature. The emission of Green House Gases (GHG) as a result of deforestation and / or crop agriculture has already been identified during Kyoto conference. Therefore

it may no more be possible perpetually to ensure a minimum net income by adopting a production system based on higher use or abuse of primary inputs like land, water and energy. Recently news papers published in front page that India's population is exploding!!!!! Population rise is an indication of positive scientific and human development. Over the years, professions have developed specialties and super-specialties, supporting and complementing the generalist professionals and technocrats at grass root level. The system benefitted a large section of the community. Knowledge explosion in science in the past 2-3 decades has created insurmountable information that opened innumerable opportunities for the professional service, science and technology. Libraries crammed with books could benefit from hybrids between science and technology viz. information technology (IT). Digital net work have developed search engines that sort and supply knowledge around the world at the click of a mouse. Synergy with technology enabled man to discharge her/ his professional task quick, efficient and in a cost effective manner. Convergence of knowledge from meditation to nano technology is reducing or is intended to reduce death rate and increase life span and therefore the population. Naturally demand for professional service increased manifold. Management tools are now available to sort and optimize the use of time, men and material, so that the benefits of advancement and achievements are accessible by more clients without affecting efficiency. IT and management has also made ready to use soft wear and created many job opportunities including BPO's. www.nano.org.uk/ nano.htm - 26k Technology has made the world small but crowded and busy. By 2010 population in urban areas of developing countries like India was estimated to rise from the present 30% level (31.2%) to > 46% (46.2%). Pressure on land, water and energy, along with increasing opportunities in cities has given way to high rise buildings, where reduced indulgence set a trend of isolated living. Our contention/ perception of

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Animal Welfare Animals had been part of Indian culture since epic era. Possibly because, animals played significant role as work force during ancient Indian civilization, slavery never became part of Indian (Indus valley) culture. From an ethologist's point of view, India's system of animal husbandry provide adequate opportunity for indulgence between man and animals. Therefore, all the animal welfare issues of the west may not uniformly be relevant to In. naturally Indian veterinarians may have an altogether different role to play in animal welfare. Animal welfare is the human perception of what is good for animals. The range of feeling of man towards animals varies from recognition of pain to the negative aspect of it, that consider animal as a source of inconvenience. There can be several intermediate levels within the positive or negative attitude. Such attitudes need not always result either in welfare or cruelty. Since Veterinary ethology encompasses the study of animal behaviour viz-a-viz human behavior, it has a good scope to observe and measure animal welfare in a professional sense To study human component of man animal interaction one has to understand needs and behaviour of man. Need is the motivation (driving force) for a function. Behaviour is the way an organism reacts to its immediate environment. A good basis for understanding people's need is the theory of Maslow and for that of animals there are the animal's freedoms like freedom from hunger & thirst, freedom from Pain & Suffering, freedom from fear & stress, freedom to express natural behaviour pattern. Freedom to indulge is a new dimension added. Indulgence is an interaction that is emotional in addition to being physical. The concept of wellbeing must go beyond clinical health or high performance. Study of animal behaviour help

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Aging is both a mental physical handicap. Old age population is growing. India has 70 million people who are aged. 60 plus and 90% of them are in unorganized sector. Loneliness can cause high blood pressure in older adults. Dementia/ Alzheimer's disease is not uncommon among the aged. In the busy, but isolated life, companion animals or pets are increasingly sought as partners for diversion and relaxation (behavioral indulgence or diversion). There are many opportunities to use animals viz. (a) to help the blind, epileptic, differently able, (b) to alleviate stress, loneliness, low security perception or (c) for the feel good (wellness) of man. This close man animal contact necessitates maintenance of health and wellness in animals to ensure the same in man. Animal and environment activist groups supporting (reasonable) issues like animal rights and sustainability, often bring use of animal and implementation of development programs to flash a point. Today professionals who are independently accountable to the community for their decisions, actions and consequence thereof, can not work in isolation oblivious of sustenance of life and the harmony among man, animal and environment .Economic development and Human development can go hand in hand if we plan to convert our population into power in the sphere of our development. It is time we discuss “Gandhiji's” production by the masses in place of mass production

In the Indian context related topics that cover the motto include,-

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development could be misleading if, we do not identify the new life-style problems of man, animal and nature. The key board/ mouse linked painful musckulo-skeletal problems (ergometric injuries) is just one of them (visit www.microsoft.com/hardware). Opportunities to involve in the “virtual world” of electronics, combined with life within satellite families, scheduled work, lack of time, cracking communication (with real world) etc. are slowly giving way to helplessness, relating, self criticism, cynicism, stress seeking, sleeplessness and other primary symptoms of stress and depression (even lead to suicides). Quick relief through Calming drugs; disco's and drinks are adding health hazards to the mechanical life. Counseling, holistic health and the stress relief clinics are available to those who can afford to adopt them on a regular basis.

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veterinarians to identify and (to an extent) measure animal's comfort or suffering. Whether in animal rearing, stray animal control, animal experiment, zoo management or treatment, a tendency to assume that an animal is under stress, pain or its basic needs remain uncompensated can be subjective, if such observations are not supported by observable and/or measurable facts, based on ethological criteria. The Indian sub-continent has immense scope to develop veterinary ethology to the benefit of animal kingdom and to the human community. Experience has now proved beyond doubt that animals can provide mental diversion and an opportunity for indulgence to man. Presence of animals provides a positive environment to the children, the aged, and the handicapped and can hasten the recovery and rehabilitation of soldiers recuperating from incapacitating war wounds.

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Commenting on the draft animal welfare Bill that was presented in Britain to replace the century old Protection of Animals Act 1911, BVA President Tim Greet said “… this major review is certainly not before time. By the very nature of our work, with our scientific and practical expertise, vets are in the front line of Animal welfare. Indeed at present successful prosecution relies almost entirely on the evidence from a vet. For this reason we welcome the imposition of a 'duty to care' on the keeper of any animal and the decision to modernize and re-define the offence of cruelty. No vet should ever again need to stand in the witness box trying to re-define concepts such as 'cruelty' or 'suffering' We also welcome the decision to impose ban on mutilations, but will need to see what limited exceptions the government has in mind with regard to tail docking of dogs. “it is often been said that owning an animal is a privilege , not a right. With the publication of this bill, and the recent launch of the animal health and welfare strategy, the government has provided the opportunity for society to this fact.

Disaster Management Vulnerability and impact of disaster are high, on the weaker sections of the community. In India there are a good number of people who can not earn “a dollar a day” (D.A.D). When developing countries are in disaster, the poor suffer the impact acutely. Many of the poor are landless or small holders. They largely depend on animals, for livelihood.. It is apparent that even though animals are the main source of livelihood to the poorest of the poor, disaster management of animals do not figure anywhere in preparedness, mitigation or rehabilitation.. In fact animals can play a major role in all the components of disaster management of these countries. There is a significant participation of women in conventional animal husbandry system where a large array of indigenous breeds of domestic and semidomestic animals live in absolute harmony with man and nature; a situation that can prevent at least some disasters. Animals can play a significant role during a disaster. They are specifically used for search & rescue operations. Animals are the means of transport of injured and invalid people when no other transport is possible. Animals are also used for clearance of debris in inaccessible areas. Animals are movable assets of the farmer, which can be salvaged and used during response period or while victims live in shelters. Even in their death animals serve the community by providing material gains, with their hide, bone, lard and carcass. Damaged crops & grains unfit for human consumption can be used as animal feed and fodder. Animal rearing is a major diversion from shock for disaster victims and help them tide over their depression. In flood duck rearing and fish farming help in clearing pests that can cause epidemics. Pigs and free living animals clear garbage & waste materials. Dogs (pets and community animals) keep wild animals and reptiles that stray into camps at bay. In war, a man made disaster, animals play a key role in transport, reconnaissance, tracking, guarding, combat etc.

THEME TOPIC

The animal genetic resources available throughout the world are in a dramatic state of decline. The development of artificial insemination and other techniques that facilitate easy transfer of breeding material from one geographical region to another have resulted in widespread cross breeding and the replacement of local stocks through prolonged dilution. In many cases this has been carried out without initial characterization or evaluation of indigenous breeds and with no effort to conserve local strains. It has resulted in the disappearance of a substantial number of local populations, with the consequent loss of their inherent genetic adaptation to their local environments. This increasing loss of identifiable diversity in animal genetic resources has been recognized for many years. Particular concern has been growing with respect to the speed, at which uncharacterized breeds are disappearing in some rapidly developing regions of the world where climatic, parasitic or disease pressures could have produced important genetically adapted breeds. (Hodges, 199c; Office of Technology Assessment, 1987; Weiner, 1989) Asia has immense diversity of genetic resources in respect of animals and birds but these are fast vanishing because no systematic effort has been made in he past to conserve them. In an attempt to provide a drastic improvement in production performance many developing countries had adopted cross breeding programmes using exotic genetic genetic material. The impact of cross breeding over 3-4 decades

Emphasis need be laid on their improvement, conservation of their germplasm and identification of their germplasm and identification of their role in region's economy. An important factor yet to be forthcoming is the quantification of the benefit from genetic manipulation. In other words even though t is proved beyond doubt that higher milk yield, finer wool or better yield can be achieved through introduction of superior exotic germplasm, we are yet to assess whether these have factually improved the income of the live-stock owner or our export potential. Biotechnology Relevant to Animal Sciences Before birth of Microbiology and cellular biology man did selection of breeds of animals or plants they feed on, fermentation of milk etc. With discoveries in Microbiology and Cellular biology, he produced Vaccine, Sera, Antibiotics, Vitamins and did selection, Cross breeding, Artificial Insemination (A.I) etc. (frozen semen technology is a later development. After development of Molecular biology major step was made by understanding genetic code which `programme' cell, bacteria or virus, extracting and modifying these coded message and by transferring them from one cell to another. This led to

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Animal Genetic Resources exist in the form of a vast array of breeds and livestock populations which have evolved and adapted over many centuries, to the range of environmental conditions encountered throughout the world. The pressure of selection imposed by climate, soil type, altitude, available food supply, endemic diseases and parasites, management techniques and market demands have resulted in thousands of breeds, types of strains, each with their own genetic make-up, and each adapted to its own specific niche.

has not resulted in a wide spread improvement in performance at grassroots level. In comparison to 61.00 Million breedable indigenous cows, we have 3.50 Million crossbred cows and 40 Million shebuffaloes. Though the level of production of exotic/ crossbred animals are relatively superior, the total intake nutrient level is high and survival low under the prevailing (practiced) conditions. Under certain environmental conditions (foraging, supplemented by kitchen waste) the improved exotic breeds had genotypic value of zero for most production traits (Bhat, P. N â&#x20AC;&#x153;Breeding plans for the improvement of indigenous breeds and species.â&#x20AC;? Proceeding of the Expert Panel Meeting, Oct. 1983 Part I; FAO/UNEP 1984.)

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Biodiversity

THEME TOPIC

modifying existing genotype & create new combination of genes, Mutation, Hybridomas and DNA probes. Later, new genotypes were created by DNA manipulation and DNA recombination. “A number of discoveries relevant to veterinary science place this field in the forefront of such progress. The responsibilities of Veterinarians are considerable, because these discoveries (be it medicine or vaccine) have first to be tested in animals whether in the form of products administered or feed given to them”. (C.M.Singh, 2001) In the Veterinary field many scientific inroads have been made in the past few decades. Conservation of germplasm, DNA finger printing, ETT (Embryo Transfer Technology), ONBS (Open Nucleus Breeding System) MOET ( Multiple Ova Embryo Transfer) are some examples. Unfortunately many of these are now confined to specific laboratories in India. Some of them may need considerable modifications, trials, quality control & risk assessment. There is an urgent need to explore their use in field Veterinary Practice to the benefit of the livestock owner and in turn to conservation. Other fields that benefitted are § Disease diagnosis (Hybrydoma, Monocolonal DNA probes), § Prophylaxis (Sub-unit vaccine, recombinant vaccine), § Nutrition (Probiotics, Rumen microbe manipulation),

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Issue 1 April 2011

§ Pharmacology (Insulin from cell culture, target oriented drugs), § Genetics (Restricted Fragment Linked Polymerisation ie. RFLP ; Polymerase Chain Reaction ie. PCR etc.) Even though with the advancement of molecular Biology and biotechnology some progress had been made in vaccine production, no new

technology had found field application in India, except the production and application of cell culture vaccines. There too the quality control and cold chain maintenance, acceptability among small holders are problems to be addressed. Mentionable among applied usage are ETT and ONBS that has already been put to practical use in a limited way in India and is waiting for man power development and infrastructure for their wider use. These have already been developed primarily under mode mission project of Dept. Biotechnology during the past 20 years. However, the user Ministry is stepping in to try and implement it at farmer's door during the Five Year Plan. With the hi-tech and newer technological interventions developed over the years in livestock reproduction & development, there is a need felt to regulate reproduction technology that can now be implemented at field level. A dependable epidemiological data, early, quick & dependable diagnosis, effective and cheap and risk free vaccines, establishment of high security animal disease laboratories (P3/P5) etc. are priority areas so far as India is concerned. Though we have through decades of efforts established a High Security laboratory, the first in Asia, details like meeting its maintenance cost does not seem to have been considered in budget plans of the organization responsible in the budget demands or in the th 9 Five Year Plan. Some commendable inroads had been made in the field of molecular epidemiology especially for foot & mouth. But wider utilization of this information for action as a part of national eradication plan is desirable. Dovetailing research with service is the need of the hour. The most important new technology that can be a force multiplier in a farmers' situation is information relevant to his environment. The livestock owner has already optimised his use of feed and fodder, breeding and care within the constraints he faces in his environment. She/ he needs the information to cope with changes in economy and society he now has to rapidly contend with. (Maru 1997)

RESEARCH ARTICLE

OBSERVATIONS ON THE SPINAL NERVE ROOTS IN GOAT FOETUSES* 1

S. Maya , J. J. Chungath , K. R. Harshan and N. Ashok Department of Veterinary Anatomy and Histology, College of Veterinary and Animal Sciences, Pookot, Lakkidi P.O., Wayanad, Kerala 673 576. *Part of the Ph.D thesis submitted by the first author to Kerala Agricultural University, Thrissur

ABSTRACT The study on 52 goat foetuses revealed that each spinal nerve arose by dorsal and ventral roots, where the root emergence length was slightly greater in cervical, rostral thoracic and lumbar region of the cord in foetal goat. It decreased through sacral region. Ventral roots attached and originated over greater area than corresponding dorsal roots. The segments of enlargements had shorter lengths for root attachment and shorter interval between adjacent roots than other segments.

MATERIAL AND METHODS The study was conducted on 52 goat foetuses of different ages. Specimens were fixed by 10 per cent neutral buffered formalin. Root emergence length (REL) was measured as the extent of the dural surface occupied by the respective spinal nerve roots at the point of their emergence. Root attachment length (RAL) was the length of the cord to which the rootlets of each spinal nerve were attached, viz. distance from most rostral to Associate Professor,2&4 Professor, 3Professor and Head Department of Veterinary Anatomy and Histology, 1

RESULTS AND DISCUSSION There were 36 pairs of spinal nerves in the foetuses under study: 8 cervical, 13 thoracic, 6 lumbar, 4 sacral and 5 coccygeal. According to Ghoshal (1975), the number of spinal nerves varied depending on the thoracic, lumbar and sacral vertebrae present in sheep and goat. These spinal nerves had a common pattern of structure and were segmentally arranged. Each arose from the spinal cord by a dorsal root and a ventral root. The cervical nerve roots were shorter but nerve roots further became longer caudally. The dorsal roots had a small number of large coarse, rootlets whereas the ventral roots consisted of many small rootlets with less tensile strength. This was in accordance with findings of Thomas and Combs (1962) in cat. Root Emergence Length (REL) The emergence length of the dorsal and ventral roots of spinal nerves was measured in the last two months of gestation. The root emergence of the dorsal roots was always greater than that of the

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A spinal cord segment consists of a portion of the spinal cord proper with all of its rootlets that join to form the associated pair of spinal nerves. Number of rootlets that forms a spinal nerve and the length of the cord segments vary from one level of the cord to the next. There is no clear demarcation between segments of the spinal cord except for the interval between root fibres of the adjacent nerves. Each spinal cord segment is numbered as per the attachment of the paired spinal nerves and the cord consists of as many segments, as there were pairs of spinal nerves. The distinct differences in the number of spinal cord segments between species reflected individual morphology and suited the functional requirements of the animal. Since the information about the attachment of spinal nerve rootletsin the caprine spinal cord is very scanty, this study was undertaken to elucidate the same during prenatal development in goat.

the most caudal rootlet of both the dorsal and ventral roots of each spinal nerve. Inter root length (IRL) was the length of the cord surface devoid of rootlets, lying between the attachment of the roots of adjacent spinal nerves, viz. the distance between the most caudal and the most rostral rootlet of adjacent spinal nerves.

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INTRODUCTION

RESEARCH ARTICLE

ventral roots. So, the dorsal roots pierced the dura mater over a larger area compared to the ventral roots. Histological observations of Sanomiya (1927) indicated that there were more of glial tissues and a greater number of nerve fibres in the dorsal roots, which might account for this gross difference. The root emergence length was slightly greater in cervical, rostral thoracic and lumbar regions of the cord. It decreased rapidly through the sacral region. The greatest root emergence length was measured dorsally at 8th cervical segment as 1.980 ± 0.020 mm at fourth and as 4.662 ± 0.078 mm fifth month of gestation. Ventrally, the greatest root emergence length was observed at first, second, third and eighth cervical segment as 1.050 ± 0.085 mm at fourth month and at third cervical segment as 3.554 ± 0.258 mm at fifth month of gestation. In the thoracic region, dorsal root emergence length was greatest at first thoracic segment in fourth and fifth month. In lumbar region, the length was less variable at fourth month but in fifth month, fifth lumbar segment had the greatest length. In the sacral region, first sacral segment had the greatest length in both the age groups. Ventrally, the same was true with first thoracic and first sacral segments, but it varied at the lumbar region. Greatest root emergence length was recorded at third cervical, first thoracic, fourth lumbar and first sacral segments in sheep (Rao, 1990). This observation is identical with those recorded in thoracic and sacral regions in the present study. Ventral root emergence length remained less variable in the thoracic region. This is in accordance with the findings of Sharma and Rao (1971) in buffaloes and Sharma et al. (1973) in goats.

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Root Attachment Length (RAL) In general, ventral roots originated over greater area when compared to corresponding dorsal roots. This is in accordance with the study by Thomas and Combs in cat and monkey (1962 and 1965 respectively) and Sharma and Rao (1971) in buffalo. Sharma et al. (1973) reported that this observation was true in goats in prelumbar segments. In the present study, the lumbar and sacral segments presented ventral root attachment length either

greater than or equal to those at the dorsal aspect. The maximum root attachment length was associated with the longest spinal cord segment, second cervical, dorsally in fourth and fifth month. It measured 2.444 ± 0.176 mm and 7.443 ± 1.060 mm respectively at fourth and fifth month. On ventral aspect it was at third cervical segment as 2.600 ± 0.191mm in fourth and second cervical segment as 7.571± 1.295 mm at fifth month of gestation. The root attachment length decreased after sixth lumbar segment towards the coccygeal region. The minimum dorsal and ventral root attachment length were observed in the coccygeal region in both the age groups studied. In general, the ventral roots originated over greater area compared with corresponding dorsal roots. A comparison between dorsal root attachment length and segment length at fifth month of gestation showed that both these parameters followed a similar pattern showing a relation between the two (Fig. 1). So there stands a relation between the root attachment length and segment length. Being greater in the longer ones and decreased in the shorter ones. So as stated by Sharma et al. (1973), the root attachment length contributes to the segment length.

Fig.1 Segment length, dorsal root attachment length and inter root length of spinal cord at last month of gestation.

The greatest root attachment length was recorded at third cervical segment in dogs (Fletcher and Kitchell, 1966), at second cervical segment through third cervical segment in buffalo (Sharma and Rao, 1971) and at third cervical segment in goats (Sharma et al., 1973) and Sheep (Rao, 1990). In difference, Taluja et al. (1983) reported maximum RAL at seventh cervical segment in all age groups in goat foetuses. Taluja et al. (1999) also reported maximum RAL at fifth, seventh and eighth cervical segments in calves.

RESEARCH ARTICLE

The maximum IRL was noticed at second cervical segment in the fourth and fifth month as 4.500 Âą 0.129 and 6.490 Âą 0.643 mm respectively. A similar condition of maximum IRL was recorded at second cervical segment in goat foetuses (Taluja et al., 1983), third cervical segment in sheep (Rao, 1990) and second cervical segment in calves (Taluja et al., 1999; Parmar et al., 2000). Cervical enlargement region showed a decrease in inter root length in both fourth and fifth month (Fig. 1) rarely with, no measurable distance at eighth cervical segment. In the fifth month, lumbar enlargement region also showed a decrease in inter root length after sixth lumbar segment. Longest inter root length was at eleventh thoracic segment at fourth month and at twelfth thoracic segment in fifth month. Minimum inter root length was at first thoracic segment. Similar pattern occurred in camel (Gholami et al., 1998). The segments of cervical and lumbar enlargements had shorter length for root attachment and shorter interval between adjacent roots than the segments in other regions of cord in the present study. This is found true with the findings of Fletcher and Kitchell (1966) in dog.

Fletcher, T.F. and Kitchell, R.L. 1966. Anatomical studies on the spinal cord segments of the dog.Am.J. vet.Res.27: 1759-1767 Gholami, S., Ghazi, S.R. and Khaksar, Z. 1998. Variations in the length of the dorsal root attachments and inter root intervals of the spinal cord segments during postnatal life of camel (Camelus dromedarius) J. Camel. prac. Res. 5: 71-73 Ghoshal, N.G. 1975. Spinal nerves. Sisson and Grossman's The Anatomy of the Domestic Animals, Volume I. (ed. Getty,R.). Fifth edition. W.B. Saunder's Company, Philadelphia, pp: 11241151 Parmar, M.L., Malik, M.R. and Taluja, J.S. 2000. Morphometry of the brain and spinal cord of calves. Indian J. vet. Anat. 12: 99-100 Rao, G.S. 1990. Anatomical studies on the ovine spinal cord. Anat. Anz. 171: 261-264 Sanomiya, N. 1927.The histological structure of the exit and entrance positions of the ventral and dorsal spinal nerves in cattle.Folia anat. jap. 5: 303-311 Sharma,D.N.and Rao,G.S.1971.Anatomyofspinalcordsegments ofbuffalo(Bubalusbubalis).Actaanat.79:51-59 Sharma, D.N., Singh, Y. and Dhingra, L.D. 1973. Anatomical studies on the spinal cord segments of goat (Capra hircus). Haryana agri. Univ.J. Res.3 : 87-92 Taluja, J.S., Shrivastava, A.M. and Parmar, M.L. 1983. Spinal cord segments in goat foetuses. Indian J. Anim.Sci.53: 1246-1248 Taluja, J.S., Malik, M.R. and Parwar, M.L. 1999. Spinal cord segments in crossbred calves. Indian J. vet. Anat. 11: 77 Thomas, C.E. and Combs, C.M. 1962. Spinal cord segments. A. Gross structure in the adult cat. Am. J. Anat.110: 37-47 Thomas, C.E. and Combs, C.M. 1965. Spinal cord segments. B. Gross structure in the adult monkey. Am. J. Anat. 116: 205-216 Issue 1 April 2011

Inter Root Length (IRL)

REFERENCES

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RAL increased from eleventh thoracic to first lumbar in fourth month and from eighth thoracic to first lumbar segments in fifth month of gestation in the present study. Sharma et al. (1973) reported that this second increment of RAL lay at eleventh thoracic to first lumbar dorsally in goats.

RESEARCH ARTICLE

COMPARISON OF BACTERIOLOGIC CULTURE, DARK FIELD MICROSCOPY AND PCR FOR DETECTION OF Leptospira IN BIOMATERIALS* 1

A. Dhannia , V. Jayaprakash , G. Krishnan Nair and M. Mini. Department of Veterinary Microbiology College of Veterinary and Animal Sciencess, Mannuthy, Thrissur

*Part of the M. V. Sc thesis submitted by the first author to Kerala Agricultural University, Thrissur

ABSTRACT A study was conducted in the Department of Microbiology, COVAS, Mannuthy in which suspected clinical samples and biomaterials from rodents were subjected to bacteriologic culture, Dark field microscopy and PCR for detection of leptospires. Bacteriologic culture and DFM could be performed only on freshly collected samples where as PCR could detect leptospires even in long preserved ones. DFM or culturing were found to be either unreliable or too slow to contribute to an early diagnosis compared to PCR. At the same time DFM was very useful to detect presence of leptospires in cultures and to check the purity of cultures. Though not suitable for routine use and early diagnosis the advantage of isolation was that any serovar could be detected and kept for future identification.

INTRODUCTION

Dark Field Microscopy (DFM)

The wide spectrum of clinical signs from mild to fatal forms make the diagnosis of leptospirosis difficult. The diagnostic approaches include direct microscopic demonstration of organism, isolation, serology and molecular techniques for detection of nucleic acid A study was conducted in the Department of Microbiology, COVAS, Mannuthy in which suspected clinical samples and biomaterials from rodents were subjected to bacteriologic culture, Dark field microscopy and PCR for detection of leptospires.

The urine and blood samples collected fresh from suspected cases and urine from Rodents were first subjected to DFM.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

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Clinical samples One hundred and seventeen including serum/plasma (92), urine (18), kidney tissues (5) and milk (samples 2) were collected from suspected cases of canine/bovine/caprine/human leptospirosis. Bio-materials from rodent reservoirs The kidney tissues (25) and urine (5) were collected from 21 rats and 4 bandicoots captured from the neighbouring farm premises

Blood Two milliliters of blood collected in buffered sodium oxalate (1%) anticoagulant was processed for DFM. The blood was centrifuged at 1000 x g for 15 min and plasma was placed on a clear grease free glass slide and applied a cover slip (18 mm square). This wet mount preparation was examined under low (10X) and high power (45X) objective of the dark field microscope. Utmost care was taken to examine as many microscopic fields as possible and a minimum of 100 high power fields were examined. Urine Five to six milliliter of urine samples collected with equal quantity of sterile PBS was immediately centrifuged at 3000 x g for 10 min. A drop of sediment was placed on a clear grease free glass slide, applied a cover slip (18 mm square) and was examined under low 1 PG Scholar, 2 Professor and Head, 3&4 Associate Professor Department of Veterinary Microbiology College of Veterinary and Animal Sciencess, Mannuthy, Thrissur

RESEARCH ARTICLE

Primers The genus specific primers A and B designed by Merien et al. (1992) were obtained from Alpha DNA, Canada. A: 5'-GGC GGC TCT TAA ACA TG-3' B: 5'-TTC CCC CCA TTG AGC AAG ATT-3' Preparation of template DNA from samples In case of blood, one milliliter of blood was centrifuged at 1000 x g for 15 min and removed 0.5 ml of plasma. The plasma was further centrifuged at 13000 x g for 10 min at 4oC, washed the sediment twice with sterile PBS and then resuspended in 15 µl sterile triple glass distilled water. Finally the samples in Eppendorf tubes were placed on a boiling water bath for 10 min and immediately kept on ice for 30 min. Before setting of PCR the samples were thawed and centrifuged at 5000 x g for 10 min and the supernatant was used as template for PCR. For urine and serum samples the procedure was similar to the blood plasma. For processing the kidney tissues, a tiny portion of kidney cortex was triturated with one milliliter of sterile PBS. Rest of the procedure was same as for blood. The template DNA from samples was subjected to genus specific PCR using the primers A and B. Each reaction was done in a total volume of 25 ìl. For five such reactions, a mastermix was prepared to contain the following reagents Reagents

Quantity

Triple distilled water

68 ìl

Magnesium Chloride (25 mM)

2.5 ìl

PCR buffer (10 X)

12.5 ìl

Primer A (20 pM/ ìl)

5 ìl

Primer B (20 pM/ ìl)

5 ìl

dNTPs

5 ìl

Taq polymerase (3units/ ìl)

2 ìl

The programme of amplification included a first cycle of Denaturation at 94oC for 3 min Annealing at 63oC for 1.5 min Extension at 72oC for 2 min followed by 28 cycles of Denaturation at 94oC for 1 min Annealing at 63oC for 1.5 min o Extension at 72 C for 2 min and a final cycle of of o o Denaturation at 94 C for 1 min Annealing at 63 C for o 1.5 min Extension at 72 C for 12 min. The amplified product was detected by Submarine Agarose gel electrophoresis (SAE) on one per cent agarose gel in TAE buffer (I X). METHOD OF ISOLATION Isolation of Leptospira was attempted from five urine samples and twenty five kidney tissues of rodents captured from the neighbouring farm premises. In addition to this, blood samples from two dogs positive by DFM were also subjected to isolation trials. Fletcher's Semisolid Medium (Hi Media) with5-Flourouracil (100 µg/ml) was used for isolation. Screw capped tubes containing three to five milliliters of culture medium were inoculated with one to two drops of whole blood or a drop of the plasma with aseptic precautions (Cruickshank et al., 1975). The inoculum was thoroughly mixed with medium and one milliliter of medium was transferred to a second tube and from this to a third tube. Isolation of leptospires from rodents was attempted by culturing the cortical portion of kidney and urine from the urinary bladder. Live rodents captured were anaesthetized with chloroform and opened with aseptic precautions. The tiny portion of kidney cortex collected by a single puncture with finely drawn sterile Pasteur pipette was inoculated to culture medium with aseptic precautions, mixed properly and then inoculated into two more tubes as described for blood. All the inoculated tubes were

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Polymerase chain reactions

Twenty microliter of mastermix was distributed to five tubes. To twenty microliter mastermix added five microliter template. Negative control without template to monitor contamination was also set. The PCR was carried out in an automated thermal cycler (Eppendorf Mastercycler, Germany).

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(10X) and high power (45X) objective of the dark field microscope and a minimum of 100 high power fields were examined

RESEARCH ARTICLE o

incubated at 37 C for 24 h, followed by incubation at 28oC for two to three months. The tubes showing visual contamination were discarded. All the tubes were examined at weekly intervals by DFM and by culturing in blood agar. The contaminated tubes were discarded and those showing growth of leptospires were subcultured on to fresh media. The urine samples from rodents were collected into sterile syringes and were cultured as for blood as described above.

RESULTS AND DISCUSSION Polymerase chain reaction Out of the 147 samples leptospiral DNA could be detected in nine samples. Among the 117 clinical samples e x a m i n e d amplification of leptospiral DNA was observed only in eight serum samples, four from dogs and four from cattle. All these samples were long preserved ones received from District Veterinary Centre (DVC), Kottayam and were unsuitable for culturing. Of the 30 samples from rodents the kidney tissue of one bandicoot was positive by PCR

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ISOLATION Out of the 32 samples cultured for isolation seven samples were contaminated either with bacteria or fungus. Contamination was more common in urine samples and Fletcher's media with 5-FU were used mainly to culture urine samples. The bacterial contamination was evident from 24 h of incubation whereas the fungal contaminants took five to seven days to grow. Out of the 25 samples which were uncontaminated only one kidney sample from a bandicoot was positive for isolation of Leptospira. Rest of the samples was declared negative after incubation for a period of three months. The sample which was positive for isolation

was positive by genus specific PCR and motile th leptospires were demonstrable by 11 day of inoculation. The isolate was sub-cultured regularly at four weeks interval and the culture could be maintained in the laboratory for further identification. Dark field microscopy (DFM) Out of the 68 samples examined two blood samples were DFM positive and culturing was tried immediately. But later PCR and culture detected both the samples as negative for Leptospira. All the DFM negative samples were also negative by PCR and culture.Noubade et al. (2002) opined that PCR has the advantage that it does not require the isolation of the organisms and detected DNA from both viable and nonviable organisms. Isolation requires viable organisms to be present in the sample, which is again influenced by various factors such as method of collection, transportation and storage. Venkatesha and Ramadas (2001) could detect leptospires by PCR in more number of samples over culturing method and the possible reason could be that culturing needs viable organism where as PCR detects leptospiral DNA in samples. In the present study, though the results of DFM did not correlate with the results of PCR and isolation trials, DFM was found to be a reliable tool for demonstration of leptospires in cultures and also to check purity of cultures. In the present study PCR was found to be a rapid and reliable method for the diagnosis of leptospirosis.

REFERENCES Cruickshank, R., Dugoid, J.P., Marmion, B.P. and Swain, R.H.A. 1975. Medical Microbiology.Twelfth edition. Churchill Livingstone, Edinburgh, p. 920 Merien, F., Amouriaux, P., Perloat,P., Baranton, G. and Saint Girons, I. 1992. Polymerase chain reaction for detection of Leptospira spp. in clinical samples. J. Clin. Microbiol. 30: 2219-2224 Noubade, R., Krishnamurthy, G.V., Murag, S., Venkatesha, M.D. and Krishnappa, G. 2002. Differentiation of pathogenic and saprophytic leptospires by polymerase chain reaction.Indian J. Med. Microbiol.20: 808-810 Venkatesha, M.D. and Ramdas, P. 2001. Rapid diagnosis of leptospires using polymerase chain reaction and DNA hybridization technique. Indian J. Anim. Sci. 71: 1104-1106

RESEARCH ARTICLE

RADIOPROTECTION BY CURCUMIN ON DNA DAMAGE OF BLOOD CELLS IN DUCKS ( Anas platyrhyncos domesticus) *Ramnath V. , Aziz Zarina , Beena V. 1

and Sureshkumar P. 4 Department of Veterinary Physiology College of Veterinary and Animal Sciencess, Mannuthy, Thrissur

ABSTRACT Curcumin (Diferuloyl methane), a principal curcuminoid of the Indian spice turmeric (family:Zingiberaceae) was examined for its radioprotective effect in Kuttanad ducks.Forty two Kuttanad adult female ducks were utilized. An intravenous injection of curcumin (40mg/kg b.w.) in Dimethyl sulfoxide, as well as Dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO) alone was given, 20 min prior to blood withdrawal. Whole blood from curcumin treated, DMSO alone administered and untreated ducks was exposed to 0.5 and 1 Gy gamma irradiation. Single cell gel electrophoresis under alkaline condition was performed to assess the comet parameters yielded by cellular DNA. Curcumin treated ducks showed a significant (P< 0.005) decreased DNA damage, induced by both 0.5 and 1 Gy exposure. Results were suggestive of radioprotective property of curcumin in blood cells of ducks.

At high levels, radiations can cause cell damage and even cancer. Ionizing radiation inflicts deleterious effects by damaging cellular DNA and membrane (Weiss and Landauer, 2003). Little information is available about effects of low levels of radiations in health aspects of water fowl. Several plant compounds are reported to have radioprotection properties (Arora et al., 2005). Curcumin (Diferuloyl methane) is the principle curcuminoid of popular Indian spice turmeric; member 1

Associate Professor, 2&3 Assistant Professor, Department of Veterinary Physiology 4 Professor and Safety Officer, College of Horticulture * Corresponding author Email : drvrnath@gmail.com. Ph: 9446579057

Alkaline comet assay is a sensitive technique to monitor strand breaks and alkali labile DNA lesions and rightly used to study genotoxicity, cellular DNA lesions, apoptosis and DNA repair (Olive, 1999). The present study is focused to find on the DNA protecting ability of curcumin in Kuttanad ducks by adopting comet assay, which is considered to be a rapid and sensitive method for detection of primary DNA damage at the single cell level.

MATERIALS AND METHODS The study was performed on healthy adult female Kuttanad ducks; six months age; procured from University Poultry Farm, KAU, Mannuthy. These ducks were grouped (6 / group) into G I: untreated and non irradiated, G II: Untreated and irradiated, G III: treated with curcumin @40mg/kg

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Water fowl such as ducks and geese are included in the diets of human. Water fowl that eat fish are higher on the food chain strata than those that eat plants or insects like geese. Contaminants like organic and inorganic pollutants (insecticides, herbicides and radioactive metals) ultimately reach water resources and build up in the fat tissue of aquatic fauna, are a concern to the health of water fowl. Contaminants become more concentrated when predators eat prey leading to biomagnification within the body system.

of ginger family (Zingiberaceae). Curcuminoids are polyphenols, which impart yellow colour to rhizomes of Curcuma longa. Curcumin has been extensively studied for its anti-oxidant, antiinflammatory (Menon and Sudheer, 2007) and anticancer (Jagetia and Aggarwal, 2007) properties. However its radio protective potential has not yet been exploited in the veterinary field.

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INTRODUCTION

RESEARCH ARTICLE

body wt. and irradiated and G IV: administered with Dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO) intravenously and irradiated.

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Required quantity of curcumin (40 mg/kg body weight) was dissolved in 500µL of DMSO and given by slow intravenous route through saphenous vein to G III and 500µL of DMSO alone to G IV birds. Blood was collected (3ml) in anticoagulant, dipotassium EDTA, from all birds of G I and G II, but after 20 min of intravenous administration of curcumin from G III and of DMSO from G IV. Whole blood samples from untreated (G II), curcumin treated (G III) and DMSO alone administered (G IV) which were exposed to 0.5Gy Gamma radiation, were named as G IIA, G IIIA and G IVA respectively. Those blood samples from untreated, curcumin treated and DMSO alone administered exposed to one Gy Gamma radiation were considered as G IIB, G IIIB and G IVB respectively. The alkaline comet assay (Singh, 2000) was used to access the effect of irradiation on cellular DNA and for any protective effect of curcumin on DNA damage. In short, the comet assay was conducted in alkaline medium on frosted slides coated with agarose. Precoating of slides was done with normal melting point agarose (1% in PBS: pH 7.4). Immediately coversliped and kept at 40C for 10 min to get the agarose solidified. After removal of coverslip, 200 µL of 0.8% low melting point agarose containing 5 µL of whole blood, was added to the slide. Cover slips were placed immediately and slides were kept at 4oC for 10 min. After solidification cover slips were removed and slides were immersed in prechilled lysing solution containing 2.5M NaCl, 100mM Na2EDTA, 10mM Tris-HCl; pH-10, 1% DMSO, 1% Triton X and kept for 1 hour at 4oC. After lysis , slides were drained properly and placed in a horizontal electrophoresis apparatus filled with freshly prepared electrophoresis buffer containing 300mM NaOH, 1mM EDTA and 0.2% DMSO; pH > 13. The slides were equilibrated in buffer for 20 min and electrophoresis was carried out for 30 min at 25 V. The slides were washed gently with 0.4mM TrisHCl buffer, pH-7.4 to remove alkali. The slides were

again washed with distilled water. One per cent propidium iodide was used for staining the gel and comets were visualized under fluorescent microscope with 40X magnification. The images were captured and analyzed using software 'CASP' which gives % DNA in tail, tail DNA length, tail DNA moment and olive tail DNA moment directly. The tail moment (TM) was an index calculated from tail length and % DNA in tail and olive tail moment (OTM) as the product of the distance between the centre of gravity of the head and the centre of gravity of the tail and % DNA in tail. Statistical analysis was carried out to find out any significant difference between untreated and treated groups when compared to normal group, using student 't'test.

RESULTS Exposure of duck blood cells to Gamma radiation ex-vivo induced damage to cellular DNA as evident from the comet formation. Exposure of blood cells to one Gy resulted in a significant (P<0.05) increase in comet parameters such as % DNA in tail (from 11.0+1.2% to 30.8+4%) (Fig 1.), tail DNA length (from 19.4+2.5µm to 112.0+15.8µm)( Fig 2.), tail DNA moment (from 2.2+0.4 to 40.1+8.6) (Fig 3.) and olive tail DNA moment (from 5.4+0.9 to 27.9+4.7) (Fig 4.) in untreated (G IIB) when compared to normal (G I) blood samples. However, blood samples exposed to 0.5 Gy radiation (G IIA) exhibited significantly (P<0.05) lesser comet parameters such as % DNA in tail (24.9+4%), tail DNA length (79.4+4.4µm), tail DNA moment (20.4+3.4) and olive tail DNA moment (18.8+3.1) when compared to one Gy exposed samples. There was significantly (P<0.05) lesser damage of DNA, induced by 0.5 Gy (G IIIA) and one Gy (G IIIB) irradiated blood collected from curcumin treated ducks as evident by the comet parameters like % tail DNA 19.4+3.4% and 22.6+2.4%, tail DNA length 33.2+3.9 µm and 40.0+5.5 µm, tail DNA moment 6.2+0.9 and 9.2+2.1 and olive tail DNA moment 9.7+1.9 and 11.7+1.5 respectively. Similarly blood samples exposed to 0.5Gy radiation of DMSO alone administered birds (G IVA) exhibited significantly (P<0.05) lesser comet parameters such as % DNA in tail (24.2+1.8%), tail DNA length (79.0+6.1µm), tail DNA moment (12.3+0.9) and olive tail DNA moment (14.7+2.0) when compared to one Gy

DISCUSSION Ionizing radiations like X-rays and Gamma rays, beta particles, alpha particles and neutrons are known to induce oxidative stress due to Reactive Oxygen Species (ROS) production within cells, resulting in imbalance of the pro-oxidant and antioxidants in the cells which ultimately leads to cell

death. Major damages due to ionizing radiation are single strand breaks, double strand breaks, DNADNA and DNA-protein cross links and damages to nucleotide bases. Overproduction of ROS, thus leads to mutation and chromosomal aberrations. Radiation induced loss of viability of cells has been attributed to unrepaired lesions in DNA. Thiol compounds such as amifostine, phosphonol, Nacetyl-L-cysteine, captopril and mesna have been shown to exhibit antioxidant properties and reduce radiation damage in DNA (Kataoka et al., 2007).

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exposed samples (GIVB).The corresponding values obtained in GIVB birds were 28.8+2.9 as % DNA in tail, 84.0+10 Âľm as tail DNA length, 18.78+2.9 as tail DNA moment and 20.3+0.8 as olive tail DNA moment.

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RESEARCH ARTICLE

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In the present study the damage inflicted on blood cells by Gamma radiation yielded significantly higher levels of DNA damage, in a dose dependent manner. Results also revealed that the exposure of blood cells collected from DMSO alone treated group as well as from curcumin treated group to ionizing radiation did not exhibit a wild variation from non-radiated group. However, the dose selected for curcumin would have been insufficient to quench all free radicals generated due to ionizing radiations. From the results obtained it was observed that pretreatment with curcumin protects the cell from Gamma radiation to a significantly greater extent. The inherent free radical scavenging property of DMSO (Carolina et al., 2011) also supplemented the effects of curcumin as a radioprotective agent in a synergistic manner. Turmeric has been used to treat various ailments in the Ayurvedic system of medicine in India. In the present work, pretreatment of ducks with curcumin at the dose rate of 40mg/kg body wt., i.v., resulted in decreased damage of cellular DNA significantly (P< 0.05), as induced by Gamma radiation and evidenced by all the comet assay parameters. This could be due to antioxidant sparing action of Curcumin. Curcumin being lipid soluble reacts with lipid peroxyl radicals and acts as a chain terminating antioxidant (Srinivasanet al., 2006). Curcumin being hydrophobic not only get localized in the lipid bilayer membrane, but also easily get into the cytoplasm. The presence of curcumin in the cytosol directly scavenges the free radicals like superoxide anion, hydroxyl radical and lipid peroxyl radicals and the formation of phenoxyl radicals. The phenoxyl radicals of curcumin thus produced are stabilized over the extended conjugation (Khopde et al., 2000). Curcumin stimulates gamma glutamyl cysteinyl synthase, the rate limiting step in the glutathione synthesis, thereby yielding protection to DNA against oxidative damage. Studies have shown that curcumin significantly enhance the synthesis of antioxidant enzymes such as super oxide peroxidase, catalase and glutathione peroxidase in rat liver (Reddy and Lokesh, 1994). These results are particularly interesting since turmeric is consumed in many parts of India. This may offer protection to

individuals staying in areas where background radiation from natural radioactivity is higher. Supplementation of minimum dose of curcumin of turmeric in the diet of semi-intensively reared water fowl like geese and ducks would ensure protection against low levels of ionizing radiations.

REFERENCES Arora, R., Gupta, D., Chawla, R., Sagar, R., Sharma, A., Kumar, R., Prasad, J., Singh, S., Samanata, N. and Sharma,R.K. (2005). Radioprotection by plant products: present status and future prospects. Phytotherapy Res.,19: 1. Carolina Sanmartin-Suarez, Ramon Soto-Otero, Ines Sanchez-Sellero and Estefania Mendez-Alvarez. (2011). Antioxidant properties of dimethyl sulfoxide and its viability as a solvent in the evaluation of neuroprotective antioxidants. J. Pharmacol. Toxicol. Methods. 63: 209-215. Jagetia, G.C. and Aggarwal, B.B. (2007). Spicing up of the immune system by Curcumin. J. Clin. Immunol. 27: 19. Kataoka,Y., Murleya, J.S., Bakera, K.L. and Grdinaa, D.J. (2007). Relationship between phosphorytated histone H2AX formation of cell survival in Human Microvascular Endothelial Cells (HMEC) as a function of ionizing radiation exposure in the presence or absence of Thiol-containing drugs. Radiat. Res. 168: 106. Khopde, S.M., Priyadarsini, K.I., Guha, S. N., Satav, J.G., Venkatesan, P. and Rao, M.N. (2000). Inhibition of radiation-induced lipid peroxidation by tetrahydro curcumin: possible mechanism by pulse radiolysis. Biosci. Biotechnol. Biochem.64: 503. Menon, V.P. and Sudheer, V.R. (2007). Antioxidant and antiinflammatory action of Curcumin. Adv. Exp. Med. Bio. 595: 105. Olive, P.L. (1999). DNA damage and repair in the individual cells, application of comet assay in radiobiology. Int. J .Radiat . Biol. 75:395. Reddy, A.P.C. and Lokesh, B.P. (1994). Effect of dietary turmeric (Curcuma longa) on iron-induced lipid peroxidation in rat liver. Food Chem. Toxicol.32: 279. Singh, N.P. (2000). Microgels for estimation of DNA strand breaks, DNA-Protein cross links and apoptosis. Mut. Res. 455: 111. Srinivasan, M., Rajendra Prasad, N. and Menon, V.P. (2006). Protective effect of Curcumin on Gamma radiation induced DNA damage and lipid peroxidation in cultured lymphocytes. Mut. Res. Genet. Toxicol. Environ. mutagenesis.611: 96. Weiss, J.F. and Landauer, M.R. (2003). Protection against ionizing radiation by antioxidants, nutrients and phytochemicals. Toxicology. 189: 1.

RESEARCH ARTICLE

EFFECT OF SURGICAL STRESS ON PHYSIOLOGICAL, HAEMATOLOGICAL AND BIOCHEMICAL PARAMETERS IN ELECTIVE CANINE OVARIOHYSTERECTOMY* Laiju, M.P.1, Devanand, C. B.3, and Sarada Amma, T3 Department of Surgery College of Veterinary and Animal Sciencess, Mannuthy, Thrissur *Part of the M. V. Sc thesis submitted by the first author to Kerala Agricultural University, Thrissur

ABSTRACT Elective surgeries in dogs are usually performed in the overnight fasted state so as to reduce the risk of aspiration of gastric contents during the induction of anaesthesia. Even a short period of fasting will change the metabolic state of the patient, as stress of fasting superimposes on stress of anaesthesia and surgery proper. The study was carried out in twelve clinically healthy nondescript bitches presented to the clinics of College of Veterinary and Animal Sciences, Mannuthy for pan hysterectomy to evaluate the physiological, haematological and biochemical changes. The study concluded that the animal subjected to the hysterectomy showed significant changes in the physiological, haematological and biochemical changes which were suggestive of surgical stress

MATERIALS AND METHODS The study was carried out in twelve clinically healthy nondescript bitches with age ranging from 8 months to 2.5 years presented to the clinics of College of 1

P.G. Scholar, 2 Assistant Professor (S.G.), 3 Associate Professor and Head, Department of Veterinary Surgery College of Veterinary and Animal Sciencess, Mannuthy, Thrissur

The animals were admitted in kennels at the inpatient ward of the clinics one week before the date of surgery. They were dewormed, fed once a day and water provided ad libitum.Following general check up, the animals were fasted overnight, and were s u b j e c t e d f o r t h e s t u d y. T h e a n i m a l s wereanaesthetised after premedication with atropine sulphate (0.045 mg/kg bodyweight) and xylazine (1.5 mg/kg bodyweight) intramuscularly. Ten minutes later xylazine (20 mg/ml) and ketamine (50 mg/ml) combination was administered intravenously to effect anaesthesia for the surgical procedure Rectal temperature (C), Pulse rate (per min), Respiration rate (per min), Colour of mucous membrane and Capillary refill time (sec) were recorded before surgery, immediately after surgery th and at 24 hr. The blood samples for haematological and biochemical parameters were collected from cephalic vein in heparinised syringes. Plasma for the estimation biochemical parameters, was separated by centrifuging at 5000 rpm for 10 minutes. Plasma

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Anaesthesia and surgery even for elective procedures are stressful events. The stress response to surgery would depend on the extent of injury and duration. The stress response to surgery comprises a number of hormonal changes initiated by neuronal activation of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis. This is a part of the systemic reaction to injury, which encompasses a wide range of endocrine, immunologic and haematologic effects. The net effect of the endocrine response to surgery is an increased secretion o f c a t a b o l i c h o r m o n e s . S u rg e r y c a u s e s a hypermetabolic state, which induces enzymatic changes favouring insulin resistance, gluconeogenesis, protein catabolism and muscle wasting. The present study was conducted with the objective to evaluate the effect of effect of surgical stress on elective canine ovariohysterectomy.

Veterinary and Animal Sciences, Mannuthy for panhysterectomy

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INTRODUCTION

RESEARCH ARTICLE

for estimation of cortisol was stored at 20 Â°C until assayed. Differential leucocyte count (DLC) (per cent), volume of packed red cells (VPRC) (per cent), 3 white blood cell count (WBC) (10 /Cu.mm), and haemoglobin (Hb)(g/dl) concentration1 (Benjamin, 1985) were estimated before surgery, immediately after surgery and at 24th hr. Cortisol concentration (ĂŹg/ml) was estimated before surgery, immediately after surgery and at 24th hour postoperatively using Clinical Assays GammaCoatCortisol 125I RIA Kit2 by radioimmuno assay. Glucose concentration (mg/dl) Total protein (g/dl) and albumin (g/dl) Blood urea nitrogen concentration (mg/dl) Sodium and potassium concentrations (mEq/l) was estimated before th surgery, immediately after surgery and at 24 hr.

RESULTS AND DISCUSSION Several steps were taken to minimize variation associated with differences among subjects. Female dogs that were comparable in age, weight, and stage of reproductive cycle were selected for the study. Dogs were admitted one week prior to the scheduled day of surgery to the kennel and the procedure was performed on the morning hours to limit as well as to standardize, stress associated with hospitalization and to minimise the variations in behaviour.

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The combination of intravenous xylazine and ketamine produces a good general anaesthesia and has several advantages, such as an easy administration, rapid onset or termination of anaesthesia and few apparent clinical complications Duration for the time of induction, anaesthesia and recovery from anaesthesia were 2.08 " 0.20, 49.16"1.52 and 85.0"3.41 min. respectively. Panhysterectomy was selected as the elective surgery and performed through midline laparotomy. All the surgeries were scheduled and conducted in morning hours. The surgical procedures in all the animals were performed by the same surgical team to minimize variation within and between the groups. Duration of surgery was 41.66"2.10.

There was significant (P<0.05) decrease in rectal temperature immediately after surgery compared to preoperative value. There was reduction in pulse rate immediately after surgery compared to preoperative value and it returned to normal value and remained in the normal range throughout the period of observation. There was significant (P<0.05) decrease in respiration rate immediately after surgery compared to presurgical value. There was significant (P<0.05) increase in the mean neutrophil count and significant (P<0.05) th decrease in the mean lymphocyte count at 24 hour postoperatively compared to preoperative value. Eosinophil and monocyte count revealed marginal variation throughout the period of observation. The mean white blood cell count significantly (P<0.05) decreased immediately after surgery, then increased th significantly at 24 hour postoperatively compared to preoperative value. There was significant (P<0.05) reduction in haemoglobin concentration immediately after surgery and there after the level improved to normal physiological range throughout the period of observation. The mean volume of packed red cells decreased immediately after surgery compared to preoperative value. Significant changes in the mean volume of packed red cells could not be observed between animals during the observation period and remained in the normal physiological level. Table-1. Observations on physiological parameters (Mean"SE) (n=12) Parameters

Preoperative

Postoperative 24th hour

with units

Immediate

Rectal Temperature(0 C) 39.03"0.71

38.08"0.14* 38.80" 0.16

Pulse (Per min)

81.67"2.20

78.33"2.21 82.67"2.45

Respiration (Per min)

35.67"11.70 17.00"1.91* 20.66"2.10

Mucous membrane

Pale roseate

Pale roseate Pale roseate

Capillary refill time (Sec)

* Significant at 5% level with preoperative value (P<0.05)

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Preoperative

Postoperative Immediate 24th hour

with units Neutrophils (%)

63.83"1.77

65.50"1.64 75.83"0.79*

Lymphocytes (%)

33.16"2.24

32.67"0.66 23.5"0.80*

Monocytes (%)

1.5"0.91

1.1"0.67

0.56"0.33

Eosinophils (%)

0.33 0.33

0.5 0.33

0.33 0.20

Basophils (%)

0.00

White blood cell count (103/cu.mm) 10.56"0.71

7.02"0.80* 13.59"0.71*

Haemoglobin (g/dl) 13.23"0.59

12.66"1.43*13.67"0.96

Volume of packed red cells (%) 41.5"3.04

40.5"3.35 42.0"4.36

* Significant at 5% level with preoperative value (P<0.05)

Table 3. Observations on cortisol concentration in Group I animals (Mean"SE) (n=12) Parameters

Preoperative

with units

Postoperative Immediate

24th hour

Cortisol (g/dl)

3.50"0.34

10.48"0.74* 2.83"0.61

Glucose mg/dl)

72.87"0.90 163.48"11.11* 73.49"0.93

Total protein(g/dl) 7.05"0.38

6.71"0.37*

6.9"0.37

Albumin (g/dl)

3.40"0.41

3.30"0.77

3.20"0.33

Globulin (g/dl)

3.61" 0.09

3.40"0.17

3.70"0.14

Blood urea nitrogen(mg/dl)

9.67"0.69

11.49"0.88* 14.11"1.44*

Sodium (mEq/l)

146.4"0.51 145.1"0.65

144.3"0.61

Potassium (mEq/l)

4.22"0.11

4.32"0.08

4.48"0.11

*Significant at 5% level with preoperative

There was significant (P<0.05) decrease in the total protein content immediately after surgery. There was a significant (P<0.05) increase in the blood urea nitrogen level immediately after surgery and 24th hour. There was decrease in sodium concentration and an increase in potassium concentration immediately after surgery and there after variations were marginal and within the normal physiological limit. Based on the observations, the study conclude that the significant changes in the physiological, haematological and biochemical parameters indicate the presence of surgical stress during elective surgical procedures.

REFERENCES Hansen, B.D., Hardie, E.M. and Carroll, G.S. 1997. Physiological measurements after ovariohysterectomy in dogs: what's normal? Appl. Anim. Behav. Sci. 51: 101- 109 Hardie, E.M., Hansen, B.D. and Carroll, G.S. 1997. Behavior after ovariohysterectomy in the dog: what' s normal? Appl. Anim. Behav. Sci.51: 111- 128 Smith, J.D., Allen, S.W. and Quandt, J.E. 1999. Changes in cortisol concentration in response to stress and postoperative pain in client owned cats and correlation with objective clinical variables. Am. J. Vet. Res. 60: 432- 436 Snedecor, G.W. and Cochran, W.G. 1989. Statistical methods.Eighth edition.Iowa state university press, Ames, p.503

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Parameters

There was significant (P<0.05) increase in the cortisol concentration immediately after surgery and returned to basal level by 24th hour postoperatively. There was significant (P<0.05) increase in the glucose concentrations immediately after surgery and became th near normal level by by 24 hour postoperatively compared to preoperative value.

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Table-2. Observations on haematological parameters (Mean"SE) (n=12)

RESEARCH ARTICLE

MORPHOLOGICAL STUDIES ON THE LIVER OF SAMBAR DEER (Cervus unicolor) A. R. Sreeranjini 1, C. V. Rajani 2 and N. Ashok3 Dept of Veterinary Anatomy & Histology College of Veterinary & Animal Sciences, Mannuthy, Thrissur, Kerala.

ABSTRACT The present study was conducted on the liver collected from three Sambar deer. The liver had an average weight of 1 kilogram and was firm and friable with reddish brown colour. It presented two surfaces and four borders. The cranial diaphragmatic surface was occupied by the falciform ligament, round ligament, right and left triangular ligaments and the area nuda which was bounded by the coronary ligament .The hepatic porta on the visceral surface contained the hepatic artery, portal vein, hepatic duct and several hepatic lymph nodes. The line of attachment of lesser omentum on the visceral surface was almost straight. The notch for round ligament was distinct and deeper. The thick dorsal border lodged the caudal vena cava and the oesophagial notch. The lobation of liver was more distinct than that of large ruminants. The left lobe was undivided but showed fissures and notches. The gall bladder and gall bladder fossa were not present. The quadrate lobe and the undivided right lobe were not clearly demarcated. The caudate lobe consisted of a small and more distinct papillary process and a large caudate process. The caudate process and the right lobe formed the deep renal impression for the cranial pole of right kidney.

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Key words: Morphology, Liver, Sambar deer

INTRODUCTION

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Sambar deer is the largest of all deer species found in India. It is mainly a forest dweller that prefers hills and denser parts of the forest. It feeds on leaves, wild fruits and grass. The coat colour is brown with grayish tinge. A fully grown deer attains about 300 kg body weight and reaches a height of 135 -150 cm at the shoulder. They are extremely shy of humans and feed during later evenings and in night. They are good swimmers and have very acute sense of hearing.

The present study was conducted on the liver collected from three Sambar deer brought for post mortem to the Department of Pathology at College of Veterinary & Animal Sciences, Pookot, Wayanad. Various morphological features were studied and the weight of the liver was taken with the help of an electronic balance.

Liver is the largest gland in the body. In foetus, it is an important haemopoietic organ. It is a storage organ of glycogen, fat and protein. The liver secretes bile and converts end products of protein catabolism to urea and uric acid. It removes waste products resulting from the break down of erythrocytes. It also plays an important role in the detoxification of harmful substances. Literature pertaining to the gross anatomical studies on the liver of Sambar deer was found to be scanty. Hence the present study was undertaken.

RESULTS AND DISCUSSION The liver was firm and friable with reddish brown colour and had an average weight of 1 kilogram. It presented two surfaces namely diaphragmatic and visceral surfaces and four borders viz. right, left, dorsal and ventral. The cranial diaphragmatic surface was convex and was related to the diaphragm. This surface presented the thin serosal sheet called falciform ligament which extended from the oesophagial notch to the notch for the round ligament (Fig.1). Dorso medially 1 Assistant Professor, 3 Professor, Dept of Veterinary Anatomy & Histology, College of Veterinary & Animal Sciences, Mannuthy 2 Assistant Professor, Dept of Veterinary Anatomy & Histology, College of Veterinary & Animal Sciences, Pookot, Wayanad, Kerala.

RESEARCH ARTICLE

it is oblique (Getty 1975). The right border was short and thick as in ruminants. This border along with right lobe and caudate process presented the deep renal impression for the right kidney. The left border was thin and convex and it connected the dorsal and ventral borders. The thin ventral border presented the notch for round ligament which was distinct and deeper as in hog deer (Jayathangaraj et. al., 2000). But in large ruminants this fissure is indistinct. The round ligament was present as a slight thickening of the caudal free edge of falciform ligament and it represented the vestige of umbilical vein. In small ruminants it is not evident (Dyce et. al., 1996). The thick dorsal border lodged the caudal vena cava in the sulcus venae cavae. Medial to the sulcus venae cavae, the oesophagial notch was noticed at about the middle of this border unlike in ruminants where it is located more medially and to the left. Fig.1. Parietal surface of the liver of Sambar deer L- Left lobe, R- Right lobe, Q- Quadrate lobe, Cp- Caudate process, F- Falciform ligament, Rl- Round ligament, Cl- Coronary ligament, Rt- Right triangular ligament.

In deer, the lobation of liver was more distinct as in small ruminants (Getty, 1975) and unlike in large ruminants (Fig.2). The left lobe of the liver was located ventral to an imaginary line connecting the oesophagealnotch and the notch for the round ligament. This lobe was undivided as in small and large ruminants, but it showed an arc like fissure at about the middle of its visceral surface. Another 'L' shaped fissure was present on this lobe near the left border. Two secondary notches could also be noticed near the notch for the round

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The caudal visceral surface presented the hepatic porta at about its middle (Fig.2). The hepatic porta presented the hepatic artery, portal vein, hepatic duct and several hepatic lymph nodes. The right and left hepatic ducts joined to form the common hepatic duct which opened in the duodenum. The line of attachment of lesser omentum extended from oesophagial notch to porta and was almost straight unlike in ruminants where

Fig.2. Visceral surface of the liver of Sambar deer L- Left lobe, Q- Quadrate lobe, Pp- Papillary process, Cp- Caudate process, Hp- Hepatic porta, O- Oesophageal notch, Nr- Notch for round ligament, Lo- Lesser omentum, V- Vena cava.

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this surface presented a long triangular area without serosal covering, area nuda which was closely attached to the diaphragm as in other ruminants (Getty 1975). This area was bounded by the two divisions of coronary ligament. The right triangular ligament connected the caudolateral angle of the liver to the dorsolateral abdominal wall. The left triangular ligament was noticed near the oesophageal notch and it connected the liver to diaphragm. These two ligaments were connected by the narrow coronary ligament located on the diaphragmatic surface lateral to the caudal vena cava. The hapato renal ligament was located medial to the right lateral ligament and connected the liver to the anterior end of right kidney.

RESEARCH ARTICLE

ligament. The gall bladder and gall bladder fossa were not present. Due to the absence of gall bladder and the notch on the ventral border separating the quadrate and right lobes, these two lobes were not clearly demarcated in the deer. The quadrate lobe was more distinct than that of large ruminants. The right lobe was undivided as in other ruminants. The caudate lobe consisted of a small papillary process projecting towards the porta and a large caudate process dorsal to the porta which protruded above the right border. The papillary process was more distinct as in sheep (Nickel et. al., 1979) and unlike in large ruminants. The caudate process presented a fissure at the dorsal end and was narrower and less blunt as in small ruminants (Dyce et. al., 1996). The caudate process and the right lobe formed the deep renal impression for the cranial pole of the right kidney.

REFERENCES Dyce, K. M., Sack, W. O., and Wensing, C. J.G. (1996). Textbook of Veterinary Anatomy, 2nd edn. W. B. Saunders Company, Philadelphia. pp: 62-64. Getty, R. (1975). Sisson and Grossman's The Anatomy of The Domestic Animals. Vol. II, 5th edn. W. B. Saunders Company, Philadelphia. pp: 1473-1474. Jayathangaraj, M. G., John, M. C., Ushakumari, S. and Sathyamoorthy, O. R. (2000).Comparison of macroscopic anatomy of liver, spleen and kidney of hog deer with the respective organs in sheep. In: Proceedings of XV convention of Indian Association of Veterinary Anatomists and National Symposium. December 23-25, 2000. MadrasVeterinaryCollege, Chennai. Nickel, R., Schummer, A. and Seiferle, E. (1979).The viscera of the domestic mammals.2nd edn, Verlag Paul Parey, Berlin, Hamburg. pp: 81-85.

INFOMANIA

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This set of questions relate to foods

Name the art and science of good eating or the study of food and culture .

Which is the fifth basic taste apart from bitter, salty, sweet and sour. It is described as a meaty taste with long lasting, mouth watering and coating sensation over the tongue.

Name the subjective scale used for organoleptic evaluation of spiciness of pepper and chilli.

Ageusia means

To the consumption of which substance, the Chinese Restaurant Syndrome has been associated.

Name the non fiction book authored by Michael Pollan in 2006 which describes the human food choices.

Describe pescetarianism.

How do we define a set of cooking traditions and practices often associated with a specific culture and are influenced primarily by the locally available ingredients and are named according to the region.

This was popularised in Kerala during the 80's.It consists of shavings of the roasted meat with vegetables from a skewer, and is covered with a bread. Eaten with sauce .Identify this fast food.

10.

Name the ice cream dessert, which usually has a scoop of ice cream with toppings including sauce, syrup, nuts, etc.

11.

Roti prata is a popular food in Singapore and shares many things in common to a Kerala food. Which is the Kerala food.

12.

What is the term for a young chicken,28 days old at slaughter, weighing 400-450 grams, but not more than 750grams.Its synonym is spring chicken.

13.

Gustation , the other commonly used word for this is

14.

What is the study of wine making named except vine growing and grape harvesting.

15.

Study of the effects of food on gene expression .

Compiled by : Dr. Jayesh.V, Veterinary Surgeon, District Veterinary Center, Kalpetta,Wayanad (comment at : jayeshvet@gmail.com)

Answer - Page 41

RESEARCH ARTICLE

INCIDENCE OF Salmonella spp. IN MEAT AND MARINE PRODUCTS IN KOCHI Sreeja.S1 and Salilkutty2 State Laboratory for Livestock, Marine and Agri products (SLMAP) Maradu, Nettoor P.O. Cochin

ABSTRACT Salmonella spp. is a leading cause of foodborne bacterial illness in humans. The current level of contamination by Salmonella spp. in different categories of food of animal origin submitted to the State Laboratory for Livestock, Marine & Agri Products were evaluated in this study using the Enzyme Linked Fluorescent Assay (ELFA) technique. Samples were analysed as per standard methods validated by the AOAC and USFDA (BAMFDA, 1998). The positive results were further confirmed by conventional cultural method (CCM) and biochemical identification of isolates. Salmonella was detected in 2.4% of 716 samples examined.

MATERIALS AND METHODS The samples were analysed based on standard operating procedures (SOPs) founded on standard methods validated by the AOAC and USFDA (BAMFDA, 1998). 25 grams of the sample was added to 225ml buffered peptone water, blended for 2 minutes in a 1&2 Veterinary Surgeons, State Laboratory for Livestock, Marine and Agri products (SLMAP) Maradu, Nettoor P.O. Cochin

The positive results were further confirmed by conventional cultural method (CCM) and biochemical identification of isolates.

RESULTS 716 export samples, which included 64 raw buffalo meat samples, 619 seafood samples and 33 samples of agricultural products brought to the laboratory for a period of 5 months, were screened for Salmonella spp based on standard methods. As

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Foodborne infections are an important public health concern worldwide. Most of them have a zoonotic origin and have reservoirs in healthy food animals from which they spread to an increasing variety of foods. Therefore, foods of animal origin are considered major vehicles of foodborne infections (Todd E.C,1997)and in industrialized countries they are subjected to compulsory control plans to detect microbial contamination. National epidemiologic registries continue to underscore the importance of Salmonella spp. as a leading cause of foodborne bacterial illness in humans. The detection of this pathogen is a part of the routine microbiological testing of foodstuffs in India as per Prevention of Food Adulteration (PFA) standards. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the current level of contamination by Salmonella spp. in different categories of food of animal origin based on the routine testing performed on export food samples submitted to the laboratory.

stomacher at 400rpm and incubated for 22-26 hours at 35°C. After incubation 1ml of the suspension was transferred to 10 ml selenite cystine (SC) broth and incubated for 6-8 hours at 35°C for seafood samples and 16-20 hours for raw meat samples. In parallel 1 ml of the pre enrichment broth was also transferred to 10ml of tetrathionate broth (TTB) and incubated for 6-8 hours at 42°C.After incubation 1ml of SC broth and 1ml TTB was transferred to 10 ml each of M broth. The M broths were then incubated at 18 hours for 42°C. These were then homogenized and 1ml from each M broth was taken into a test tube which was then kept in a water bath at 95-100°C for 15 minutes. The boiled broth was mixed and 0.5ml was loaded into sample well on Vitek Immunodiagnostic Assay System (VIDAS Biomerieux) Salmonella, which is a qualitative test for detection of Salmonella using the Enzyme Linked Fluorescent Assay technique.

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per Microbiology standards of PFA, Salmonella should be absent in 25g of the sample. Salmonella was detected in 2.4% of 716 samples examined and the detection rates ranged from 1.6% for raw meat to 0% for other agricultural products. Low rates were observed in seafood (0.8%). The results are presented in the table. The positive samples were confirmed on Bismuth Sulphite Agar (BSA), Xylose Lysine Deoxycholate Agar (XLD) and Hektoen Enteric Agar (HEA).

DISCUSSION

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The widespread occurrence of Salmonella spp. in natural environment coupled with the intensive husbandry practices used in meat, fish and shellfish industries and the recycling of offals and inedible raw materials into animal feed has favoured the continued prominence of this human bacterial pathogen in global food chain (Bell C and Kyriakides A. 2005). Sea food items are the highest foreign exchange earner and account for more than 70% of the total earnings of Indian marine export products. Cochin, the economic capital of Kerala is a major fish-landing center in south west coast of India and seafoods account for 90% of statewide exports. Compared to meat a low prevalence of 0.8% was seen in seafood samples. This is in agreement with the findings of Busani et al., (2005) who reported a prevalence of 0.5% in sea foods. The factor most commonly associated with Salmonella infection is consumption of raw or undercooked food (Butt A.A, 2005). A low prevalence rate of 1.6% in raw meat in this study is contrary to the findings of Maharjan M et al.,(2006)who reported a higher prevalence of 13.5% in buffalo meat from local markets. This may be attributed to the fact that the samples analysed were those meant for export and not representative of domestic consumption. The use of mini-VIDAS made the detection of Salmonella less time consuming and easy. In todays growing export demand, the use of meat scraps and offals potentially contaminated with typhoid and paratyphoid Salmonellae and of Salmonella contaminated animal feeds and faeces in aquaculture is common (D'Aoust J Y and Maurer J. 2007). This may be one of the

reasons for contamination of seafood samples with Salmonella. The ubiquitous distribution of this pathogen in environment, its physiological adaptability, virulence and prevalence in global food chain predicate the need for continued vigilance and stringent controls at all levels of food production and processing (D'Aoust J Y, 1994). In the present study efforts to identify the serotypes in positive cultures were not attempted and the prevalence of Salmonella spp. in the area was based only on routine tests of export samples. Moreover seasonal changes in the prevalence could not be studied as screening was only for a short period. Hence further research should be taken up to estimate the true prevalence of Salmonella spp. in domestic seafood and raw meat and to identify the prevalent serovars in the area. REFERENCES Bacteriological analytical manual.Food and Drug Administration. 1998. Eighth edition. Gaithersburg, Md.: AOAC International. Butt A.A, Aldridge K.E and Sanders C.V. 2005. Infections related to ingestion of seafood Part I: Viral and bacterial infections. Lancet Infect Dis. 5:69-70 Bell C and Kyriakides A. 2005. Salmonella Foodborne pathogens: Hazards, risk analysis and control. (eds Blackburn C.W and McClure P.J ). First edition. Woodhead Publishers. pp 307-331 Busani L et al 2005 Prevalence of Salmonella enterica and Listeriamonocytogenes contamination in Foods of Animal Origin in Italy. Journal of Food Protection 68:8 1729-1733 D'Aoust J Y.1994.Salmonella and the international food trade. Int J Food Microbiol 24:11-31 D'Aoust J Y and Maurer J. 2007.Salmonella species. Food Microbiology: Fundamentals and Frontiers. (eds Doyle M.P and Beuchat L.R) Third edition. ASM Press, Washington D.C, pp187-236 Maharjan M, Vandana J, Durga D J, and Poornima M. 2006. Prevalence of Salmonella species in various raw meat samples of a local market in Kathmandu. Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences 1081: 249-256 Todd, E. C. 1997. Epidemiology of foodborne diseases: a worldwide review. World Health Stat Q. 50:3050

RESEARCH ARTICLE

DISTRIBUTION OF LYMPHOID TISSUE IN THE OVIDUCT OF JAPANESE QUAIL (Coturnix coturnix japonica) 1

K. M. Lucy and K. R. Harshan Department of Veterinary Anatomy and Histology, College of Veterinary and Animal Sciences,Mannuthy - 680 651, Thrissur, Kerala.

ABSTRACT Distribution of lymphoid tissue in the quail oviduct was studied at different stages of growth. Lymphocytes first appeared in the oviductal wall at 15 days of age in the subepithelial connective tissue layer. Lymphocytes in the scattered form could be seen in the lamina propria and loose connective tissue among bundles of smooth muscle in the tunica muscularis throughout the oviductal wall. Lymphoid aggregates were occasionally noted in the infundibular neck and vagina and were not encapsulated. Distribution of the lymphoid tissue in the oviduct was maximum in 40 days-old birds and thereafter it decreased

MATERIALS AND METHODS In all, 72 birds were used for the present study. Quail chicks were selected randomly from a single hatch and reared from day-old to 60 days of age under intensive system of management. Material was collected at three days interval up to 15 days, five days interval up to 30 days and ten days interval up to 60 days of age. Tissue pieces from various segments of the oviduct were fixed in 10% neutral buffered formalin and processed conventionally and 5mthick sections were 1

Associate Professor, 2 Professor and Head Department of Veterinary Anatomy and Histology

RESULTS AND DISCUSSION Lymphocytes first appeared in the quail oviduct at 15 days of age in the subepithelial connective tissue layer of the vagina. At this age, the oviductal wall was made up of primary mucosal folds lined by simple columnar epithelium and a subepithelial connective tissue layer beneath. Various segments of the oviduct were not differentiated at this age except the uterus and vagina. Lymphatic tissue appeared in a sequential pattern from caudal end to cranial regions indicating the pattern of exposure to antigens from cloacal end to more anterior regions as reported in Kuttanad ducks by Patki (2010). Distribution of lymphocytes in the various segments of the quail oviduct was maximum at 40 days-old birds; thereafter it decreased. Biggs (1956) reported that in fowl, the number and size of lymphoid tissue in peripheral organs varied with the antigenic stimuli. Transport of lymphocytes from bursa to thymus and peripheral organs occurred in day-old, 9 days-old, two to three weeks old and six weeks old chicks, but not in 14 weeks old fowl (Woods and Linna, 1965). According to Khan et al. (1997), in Dekalb strain of White Leghorn chicken, B lymphocytes first appeared in the lamina propria of

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Lymphoid tissue reacts to foreign antigens by producing antibodies thereby providing adaptive immunity. Peripheral component of the avian lymphatic system includes all areas of lymphocytic aggregation and proliferation outside the central component which includes the bursa of Fabricius and thymus. Ectopic lymphoid tissue are so widely spread among avian species that in order to arrive some evaluation of the foci, they should be studied in as large number of species as possible. Presence of lymphoid tissue in the oviduct of domestic fowl has been reported by many workers (Kimijima, 1989 and Khan et al., 1997). In the case of Japanese quail published reports on distribution of lymphocytes in the oviduct are meagre. Hence the present work is undertaken to study the distribution of lymphoid tissue in the wall of quail oviduct at different stages of postnatal development.

made. The sections were stained using Haematoxylin and Eosin (H&E), van-Gieson's, Gomori's rapid one step trichrome and Gomori'sreticulin methods (Drury and Wallington, 1967).

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RESEARCH ARTICLE

chicken oviduct at five weeks of age and their frequency of occurrence peaked at 15 weeks from infundibulum to the uterus, while in vagina, it did so at 21 weeks. In the infundibulum, distribution of the lymphocytes was more in the neck region when compared to the fimbriated end. They were located mainly in the lamina propria, the connective tissue surrounding the blood vessels and among the bundles of smooth muscle in the tunica muscularis. Lucas (1951) reported that the presence of free lymphocyte population in the binding loose connective tissue of the pancreas of duck were those that have migrated from the blood vessels to the parenchyma. Lymphoid aggregates could be noticed in the connective tissue among bundles of smooth muscle in the neck region of the infundibulum at 60 days of age (Fig. 1). Bradley (1960) and Kimijima (1989) mentioned occasional presence of islands of lymphoid tissue near the middle of infundibulum in fowl. Mohammadapour and Keshtmandi (2008) identified lymphocytes in the infundibulum of the turkey and pigeon oviduct either in diffused form or in aggregates along with many plasma cells.

In the isthmus and uterus, irregularly scattered lymphocytes could be distinguished in the connective tissue core of mucosal folds and the loose connective tissue layer between the inner circular and outerlongitudinal muscle layers of the tunica muscularis. Among the various segments of the quail oviduct, vagina showed maximum density of lymphoid tissue. In addition to scattered lymphoytes, there were large lymphoid aggregates in the lamina propria at 40 days-old birds (Fig. 2). These aggregates lacked a limiting membrane and blended with the surrounding tissue. The nodules lacked a supporting stroma as is commonly seen in the mammalian lymph nodules. The dorsal and ventral ligaments supporting the oviduct also showed the presence of lymphocytes. Patki (2010) opined that the presence of these aggregates in the lamina propria of vagina in Kuttanad duck was beneficial for strengthening immunity against large array of antigens because of the close proximity of vagina with the cloaca.

Fig. 1.C.S. of the neck of infundibulum (60 days of age). H&E. x 160

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In the magnum, scattered lymphocytes

were noticed in the connective tissue core of the mucosal folds and in the loose connective tissue between the tunica muscularis and serosa, especially surrounding the blood vessels. At the magnum-isthmus junction, lamina propria showed abundance of lymphocytes in diffuse form as reported in fowl by Kimijima (1989).

1. Mucosal fold 2. Glands in lamina propria 3. Diffuse lymphoid tissue in the tunica muscularis

Fig. 2.C.S. of the vagina (40 days of age). H&E. x 160 1. Mucosal fold 2. Lamina propria containing large lymphoid aggregate

RESEARCH ARTICLE

Aitken, R.N.C. (1971). The oviduct: In Physiology and Biochemistry of the Domestic Fowl. (eds. D.J. Bell and B.M. Freeman). Vol. III. Academic Press, London and New York. pp. 1237-1289. Biggs, P.M. (1956). Lymphoid and haemopoietic tissue.Vet. Rec.68: 525-526. Bradley, Q.C. (1960). The Structure of the Fowl.4thedn.Oliver and Boyd, Edinburgh and London.

Drury, R.A.B. and Wallington, E.A. (1967).Carleton's Histological Technique.4thedn. Oxford University Press, New York. Khan, M.Z.I., Hashimoto, Y., Iwami, Y. and Ivanaga.T. (1997). Postnatal development of B-lymphocytes and immunoglobulin containing plasma cells in the chicken oviduct: Studies on cellular distribution and influence of sex hormones. Vet. Immunol.Immunopathol.56(3-4): 329-338. Khan, M.Z.I., Hashimoto, Y., Konno, A. and Ivanaga, T. (1996). Development of T-lymphocyte subpopulations in the postnatal chicken oviduct. Cell Tissue Res.284: 317-325. K i m i j i m a , T. ( 1 9 8 9 ) . H i s t o l o g i c a l a n d immunohistochemical study on the lymphoid tissues and immunoglobulin-containing cells in the chicken oviduct. Jap. J. Vet. Res. 37: 116. King, A.S. (1974). Aves lymphatic system. In Sisson and Grossman's The Anatomy of Domestic Animals by Getty, R. Vol. 2. 5thedn. W.B. Saunder's Company, Philadelphia. pp. 2010-2018. Lucas, A.M. (1951). Lymphoid tissue and its relation to so-called normal lymphoid foci and to lymphomatosis.Poult. Sci. 30: 116-124. Mohammadapour, A. A. and Keshtmandi, M. (2008).Histomorphological study on infundibulum and magnum in turkey and pigeon.World J. Zool. 3: 47-50. Patki, H.S. (2010). Postnatal development of the oviduct i n t h e K u t t a n a d d u c k (Anasplatyrhynchosdomesticus). M.V.Sc. Thesis. Kerala Agricultural University, Vellanikkara, India. Uddin, M.M., Khan, M.Z. I., Islam, K.N., Kibria, A S M G., Adhikary, G N., Parvez, M.H., Basu, J. Uddin, M. B. and Rahman, M. M. (2010). Distribution of lymphocytes in the mucosa associated lymphoid tissue (MALT) of naturally occurring Infectious Bursal disease (IBD) in chicken. Pakistan Vet.J. 30: 67-71. Woods, R. and Linna, J. 1965. The transport of cells from the bursa of Fabricius to the spleen and the thymus. ActaPathol. Microbiol. Scandinavica. 64: 470-476.

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REFERENCES

Das, L.N. and Biswal, G. (1968).Microanatomy of the reproductive tract of domestic duck (Anasboscas).Indian Vet. J. 45: 1003-1009.

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In short, scattered lymphocytes could be seen throughout the oviductal wall but the aggregates were noticed in the infundibular neck and vagina. Contrary to this, Das and Biswal (l968) reported that there were no lymphocytes in the oviduct ofduck. King (1974) stated that the typical lymph nodes are absent in avian species except in the case of water birds such as duck and goose. In others, they occurred as numerous lymphoid foci scattering throughout many parenchymatous organs as normal expressions of avian lymphoid tissue. In turkey, Aitken (1971) observed that lymphatic nodules and plasma cells were negligible in birds reared with minimal exposure to infection although they were a constant feature in conventionally reared birds. Khan et al. (1996) suggested that the postnatal developmental changes of T-cell subpopulations depended on different anatomical regions of the oviduct and on the age of the Dekalb strain of White Leghorn chicken. According to Khan et al. (1997), postnatal development of B lymphocytes and plasma cells in the oviduct of chicken was correlated to the oestrogen secretion. Besides sharing the general immune responses, they have a local immunological function in relation to bacteria and other antigenic substances. Uddin et al. (2010) cited that when mucosa is exposed to foreign antigens, the mucosa associated lymphoid tissue (MALT) act as a source of lymphocytes, polymorphonuclear leukocytes, plasma cells and macrophages. This tissue plays an important role in immunological response to micro-organisms and helps to induce immunity after oral immunization. Thus, in the absence of a well developed lymphatic system in avian, presence of such lymphatic aggregates or free lymphocytes is believed to be normal for compensating the function.

CLINICAL REPORT

RIGHT HEART DISEASE IN AN ADULT DOG: A CASE STUDY 1

T.Rajeev and P. R. Umashankar Department of Animal Husbandry, Kerala

INTRODUCTION

examination and radiographs (ventrodorsal and lateral views) were acquired. ECG was recorded on limb leads I, II and III. Wet film examination revealed negative for microfilaria.

Disease affecting the right heart in dogs can occur as a congenital condition or as an acquired one in the later life. Congenital heart diseases causing a left to right shunt or valvular dysplasia causing stenosis or regurgitation can result in right heart disease. Any condition occurring in adult life causing increased pulmonary vascular resistance or PA pressure can result in right heart disease. In this present paper, incidence and management of dilated cardiomyopathy with marked right heart involvement of a 4 year old male Labrador dog is reported.

X ray finding (Fig1 and 2) showed rounding of the sternal border in the lateral view and the reverse 'D' appearance in the Ventro-dorsal view, apart from increased visibility of pulmonary vasculature.

Case history and observation: Sheru, 4 year old male Labrador sniffer dog of CISF, Thumba was presented in the District Veterinary Centre on 11th November 2008, with a history of exercise intolerance, cough, lethargy, reduced intake of food and abdominal enlargement. Clinical examination revealed marked ascitis, tachypnoea, abnormal lung sounds and profound tachycardia. Body temperature was normal (1020F). Blood samples were obtained for routine

Figure 1: Lateral view showing rounded ventral border covering 3 sternibrae.

Blood picture (table1) revealed normal white cell counts and hemoglobin. Hb

Neutrophils

Lymphocytes

Eosinophil

9500/mm3

57%

38%

Serum chemistry (table 2) showed elevated values for all the parameters measured.

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11.5g%

WBC

BUN

Creatinine

ALT

AST

Serum bilirubin

30mg/dL

1.6 mg/dL

68U/L

45U/L

0.6/dL

Veterinary Surgeon1, Veterinary Dispensary, Thrikannapuram Veterinary Scientist2, BMT Wing, S.C.T.I.M.S.T., Thiruvananthapuram

CLINICAL REPORT

BUN

Creatinine

ALT

AST

21mg/dL

1 mg/dL

52U/L

40U/L

Figure 2: Dorso-ventral view showing reverse 'D' appearance of heart with increased visibility of pulmonary vasculature and haziness of lung area.

Diagnosis: The condition was tentatively diagnosed as Congestive heart failure with right heart involvement. There was with significant general venous congestion and hepatic congestion. Since the animal was asymptomatic so far and the onset of this clinical episode was recent, it was assumed that this condition is not of congenital etiology. Treatment 1 Diethyl carbamazene 125mg BID, orally was prescribed for one month, with advise to restrict exercise and salt intake. Review 1 Animal was reviewed weekly and improvement in general health, appetite, activity, exercise tolerance, and reduced occurrence of cough were noticed. However the condition deteriorated in one month with anorexia, increased respiratory rate and worsening of ascitis. Laboratory (table 3), X ray (Figure 3) and ECG investigations were repeated. Serum chemistry (table 3) after one month showed moderate reduction in values for all the parameters measured.

ECG: The ECG showed no marked variation compared to the previous one. Impression: There was marked reduction in the right heart enlargement. The inverted 'D' appearance is reversed indicating reduction of RA enlargement. Reduced visibility of pulmonary vasculature is also noticed indicating reduced pulmonary congestion. Serum enzyme values have also marginally reduced. However CHF, right ventricular enlargement and general venous stasis were seen persisting and the treatment for the same was initiated. Treatment 2: It was advised to give Frusamide 40mg BID, Digoxin 0.5 mg BID and Enalapril maleate 2.5 mg SID with advise to restrict exercise and salt intake. Review 2: Complete clinical review of the animal was done after 5 months, during May 2009. Laboratory (table 4), X ray (Figure 4 and 5) and ECG investigations were repeated. Animal was free from the above symptoms. Mild to moderate exercise could be tolerated by the animal. Appetite and general activity were normal. There was no ascitis or respiratory symptoms. Lung auscultation was normal. Heart rate and pulse rate were normal.

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Lead II ECG showed normal sinus rhythm with tachycardia and high amplitude for 'R' wave (>1 mV). QRS duration was normal (<0.04sec).

Figure 3: Ventro-Dorsal view showing reduced right heart enlargement with reduced visibility of pulmonary vasculature and haziness of lung area.

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ECG finding

CLINICAL REPORT

Serum chemistry (table 4) after 5 months showed marked reduction in ALT and AST values and increased BUN and Creatinine values BUN 26mg/dL

Creatinine

ALT

AST

Serum bilirubin

2 mg/dL

33U/L

30U/L

0.5mg/dL

Figure 4: Lateral view showing reduction in right heart enlargement with ventral border only covering 2

Figure 5: Ventro-dorsal view showing nearly normal heart and lung.

Review 3: Clinical review of the animal was repeated after 14 months, during July 2010. The treatment was discontinued during this period. At the time of presentation, animal showed moderate exercise intolerance with reduced femoral artery pulse rate of 45-50 per minute. Interestingly chest auscultation revealed a higher heart rate of 80 to 100 beats per minute. Animal also showed presence of microfilaria

in the peripheral blood. Animal was otherwise clinically normal with respect to general activity and appetite. No discernable ascitis or peripheral edema could be detected. Dorsoventral X ray (Figure 7), ECG and echocardiography (Fig 8) were acquired. X ray revealed reappearance of 'Inverted D' indicating right heart enlargement. nd

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Limb lead ECG revealed typical 2 degree atrio-ventricular block of Mobitz type II pattern as evidenced by multiple 'p' waves denoting multiple regular atrial activity (short arrows) followed by QRS complex and the same is seen well on the M mode impressions of the septum. The 'R' wave has high

Fig. 6, Dorsoventral X ray showing recurrence of inverted D appearance

Fig 7: Right parasternal short axis echocardiographic view

CLINICAL REPORT

Review: 4 Clinical review was repeated after 3 months (24/10/2010). Moderate exercise tolerance reported. Body temperature was normal(102.3 F) Femoral artery pulse rate was 58/mts. Chest auscultation reveled heart rate of 80/mts. No ascitis symptoms. No microfilaria found in the peripheral blood smear. Appetite and general activity were normal. Conducted Rapid Test for Heart Worm Ag and was found to be negative

Fig.8. Rapid Test Kit - Heart Worm Ag It was advised to continue Digoxin 0.5 mg BID and Enalapril maleate 2.5 mg SID

DISCUSSION Animals with right heart disease show clinical symptoms of generalized venous congestion such as weight loss, diminished exercise tolerance, lethargy, poor condition, cough, dyspnoea, syncope, and abdominal distension. Depending upon the severity of right heart affliction, pulsating jugular vein with distension, hepato-splenomegaly with ascitis is also noticed. The animals with typical right heart disease show a radiographic picture of rounding of the sternal

REFERENCES Kathryn M Muers, ' Primary myocardial Disease in dogs, in S.J. Ettinger and EC Feldman Eds 'Text book of Veterinary Internal Medicine' Sixth Edition, Elsevier Inc, St. Louis, Missouri, pp. 1077-1081. Davis, JO, R E, Hyatt and DS Howell, ' Right-sided congestive heart failure in dogs produced by controlled progressive constriction of the pulmonary artery, Cir Res 1955;3: 252-258. Sabu L, Devada K and Subramaniam H. Dirofilariasis in dogs and humans in Kerala. Indian J Med Res 2005, 121: 691-693. Ettinger SJ, Benitz AM, Ericsson GF, Jernigan AD, Longhofer SL, Trimboli W and Hanson PD. Effects of enalapril maleate on survival of dogs with naturally acquired heart failure. The longterm investigation of veterinary enalapril (LIVE) study group. J Am Vet Med Assoc. 1998 Dec 1;213 (11): 1573-7. K Rjesh, K. Suresh, K. Lakshmi and Syaamasundar. Cardiomyopathy in a dog. Indian Vet J, September 2010;87:911-912.

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The treatments were restarted as in the treatment schedule 2

border in the lateral view and the reverse 'D' appearance in the ventro-dorsal view indicating right heart enlargement. Apart from this there can be increased levels of serum enzymes indicating venous stasis. In animals with congenital heart condition, the clinical symptoms are noticed within 6 to 12 months of age and have a limited life span depending on the severity of the condition. Hence an adult animal with the above findings may probably indicate an acquired condition of right heart disease. The treatment adopted in this case was generally based on a report by Ettinger et al . This consisted of Furosemide as a loop diuretic to reduce fluid load, Enalapril an ACE inhibitor for reducing peripheral vascular resistance for reducing the work load on the heart and Digoxin for positive inotropic effect, for improving the general perfusion. The clinical symptoms could be alleviated by this treatment, however the onset on conduction disorder indicates that this treatment could not affect the progress of cardiomyopathy. Similar observation on the outcome was made by Rajesh et al.

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amplitude (big arrow) denoting ventricular hypertrophy/ enlargement. Right parasternal short axis M mode echocardiographic view showed multiple septal contractions (small arrow) followed by definite left ventricular wall contraction denoting good left ventricular function. Left ventricular ejection fraction and fractional shortening as measured by Techoltz method were also normal indicating normal left ventricular function. The multiple septal contractions with out ensuing left ventricular free wall contraction denotes conduction block. B mode and Doppler echocardiography revealed normal valvular function and absence of any left to right shunts. Presence of pulmonary artery stenosis or evidence of right ventricular dysfunction could not be ascertained by echocardiography.

CLINICAL REPORT

MESENTERIC TORSION IN A DOG Joseph Cyrus, Basavanagowda M.T., Shahid Vaseem S.A., and Md. Abasid Hussain, Compassion Unlimited Plus Action (CUPA) Animal Care Hospital, R. T. Nagar, Bangalore, Karnataka, INDIA, 560 032.

HISTORY AND CLINICAL SIGNS

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A one and half year old cachexic German Shepherd crossbred, previously diagnosed with exocrine pancreatic deficiency and currently on enzyme replacement therapy was presented with an acute onset of abdominal distension after food intake in the morning and respiratory difficulty. The dog was recumbent and on physical examination, pale and dry mucous membranes, sunken eye balls with prolonged capillary refill time and a temperature of 98.4Â°F was observed. Heart rate of 150 beats/min, a weak pulse, and a tense painful abdomen was evident upon palpation. A plain radiograph (Figure 1.) revealed extensive gas filled and dilated intestinal loops and a subsequent abdominal ultrasound confirmed the same. Due to the immediate nature of distress and emergency laparotomy was indicated.

SURGICAL INTERVENTION A midventral approach through the linea alba was used for the laparotomy which revealed mesenteric twisting with excessive uniform distension of the intestine with absence of peristalsis (Figure 2). The contents were a mixture of foul smelling gas and fluid. No evidence of any foreign

body or any devitalisation were seen along the entire length of the of the intestines. Multiple nick incisions and pricks with 18G needles were made along the entire length of the intestines to facilitate removal of air and contents and correction of the mesenteric twisting. Despite removal of air and contents, no motility was visualized in any segment of the intestines. Small segments of the intestines were collected for full thickness biopsies. Nick incisions were closed with simple interrupted sutures.

Despite repeated metoclopramide (PerinormÂŽ) bolus intravenous infusions and fluid therapy no peristalsis could be observed in any segment of the intestine. An atrophic shrunken pancreas was observed during the course of the surgical exploration and no attempts to biopsy the pancreas was made. The abdomen was closed using standard procedures and fluid therapy was instituted to overcome shock and hyptertonic fluid support was initiated to facilitate tissue reperfusion. Subsequently the animal developed complications and succumbed the same day. The biopsy of the intestine on histopathology revealed extensive

CLINICAL REPORT

ulcerations devoid of any inflammatory or neoplastic cells.

DISCUSSION Intestinal hypomotility are not well characterized in dogs to be associated with primary causes. Secondary causes include prior surgery, pertitonitis, pancreatitis or parvoviral infections. However as in malabsorptive disorders, undigested and osmotically active particles in the intestinal lumen are know to decrease transit time however are responsive to prokinetics like metoclopramide (Allenspach and Gaschen, 2008). However the latter did not hold true in this case. The malabsorption may be attributed to exocrine pancreatic insufficiency however the reason for hypomotility remains unknown. However, a increased prevalence of mesenteric torsion have been reported in German Shepherd dogs in Finland with pancreatic acinar atropy, a major cause of exocrine pancreatic insufficiency (Williams, 2005) but has not been reported anywhere else.Mortality associated with mesenteric torsion is almost 100%, especially in German Shepherds(Westermarck and Rimaila-Parnanen, 1989). Prompt surgical intervention has been associated with poor survival in this breed as was in this clinical case. Most deaths reported are during recovery from anaesthesia and is usually the result from a combination of hypovolemia, bacterial translocation due to mucosal barrier breakdown and subsequent toxemia. Reperfusion injury with the correction of mesenteric

torsion is also believed to be associated with the release of reactive oxygen species which have deleterious effects on tissues and is believed to set in within the first few minutes of surgical correction (Junius, Appeldoorn, and Schrauwen, 2004). Diagnosis of mesenteric torsion is difficult as clinical signs are nonspecific and the condition is relatively rare, however association with exocrine pancreatic insufficiency or German Shepherd dogs should warrant radiographic examination and emergency explorative laparotomy to increase the odds of survival.

REFERENCES Allenspach, K. And Gaschen, F. P., Small Intestinal Diseases. In: Small Animal Gastroenterology, Steiner, J.M., (ed.),Schlutersche, 2008 Junius, G., Appeldoorn, A. M. and Schrauwen, E., 2004. Mesenteric volvulus in the dog:a retrospective study of 12 . J. Small Anim .Pract., 45:104-107 Westermarck, E. and Rimaila-Parnanen, E.,1989 Mesenteric torsion in dogs with exocrine pancreatic insufficiency: 21 cases (1978-1987). J Am Vet Med Assoc ;195(10):1404-1406. Williams, D.A.2005, Disease of the exocrine pancreas. In: BSAVA Manual of Canine and Feline Gastroenterology, 2nd Ed., Edt. Hall, E.J., Simpson, J. W. And Williams, D. A., BSAVA, .

6. The Omnivore's Dilemma

11. Porotta

2. Umami

7. A diet which includes fish but no meat.

12. Poussin

3. Scoville scale

8. Cuisine

13. Taste

4. Complete loss of taste

9. Shawarma

14. Oenology

5. Mono sodium Glutamate(Ajinomoto)

10. Sundae

15. Nutrigenomics

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1. Gastronomy

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INFOMANIA Anwers

CLINICAL REPORT

Galoncus perniciosus INFESTATION IN A ZOO TIGER 1,

Jacob Alexander Abdul Salam, S. Madhavan Pillai, K. and Divakaran Nair, N. Animal Husbandry Department, Kerala.

H I S TO RY A N D P O S T M O RT E M FINDINGS Galoncus perniciosus is a nematode parasite seen rarely in tigers and leopards. The worms are seen in fibrous nodules or tumours on the wall of the intestine and lead to death from septicaemia. In Thiruvananthapuram Zoo, Galoncus perniciosus infection was identified in a male tiger aged 17 years on post mortem examination and subsequent histopathologic and parasitic studies.

Histopathology of these nodules revealed cross sections of adult nematode parasites in the muscular layer of the intestine, surrounded by an inflammatory reaction comprising of numerous plasma cells and neutrophils, and a few eosinophils. Proliferation of granulation tissue was seen around this reaction. Some stained ova could also be detected along the necrotic tract, which opened to the lumen of the intestine.

This tiger, which is also known to have parented white (albino) tigers, showed signs of colic followed by anorexia, absence of defaecation and toxaemia. The animal did not respond successfully to treatment and succumbed five days following the onset of the initial symptoms.

Fig 2. Cross section of the nodule. Note the parasite inside.

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Fig 1 Nodules of varying sizes in the intestinal wall. On post mortem examination the intestine was bloated, tense and diffusely congested. There were more than twenty whitish nodules of varying sizes in the intestinal wall. In one area the nodule was large enough to have blocked the intestine completely. On incision the nodules had an inner cavity, which opened to the intestinal lumen and contained thick sanguineous pus that came out to the lumen on expression.

The parasites both male and female were collected from the nodules by microscopic dissection. The morphological features of the head, tail, bursa, cuticle and ova revealed the species to be Galoncus perniciosus of the family Ancylostomatidae. Traceable reports on the incidence of Galoncus perniciosus are comparatively rare. Pthyal and Madhavan Pillai et al had reported in 1993, the death of a wild Indian Leopard Panthera pardus fusca (Meyer) due to parasitism with the lung fluke Paragonimus westermani (Kerbert, 1878) and the hookworm 1&2

Veterinary Surgeon, Animal Husbandry Department, Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala. 3Professor,Dept. of Parasitology (Retd.) 4 Professor, Centre of Excellence in Pathology, College of Veterinary & Animal Sciences, Thrissur.

CLINICAL REPORT

Galoncus pernicious (Linstow, 1885). Cohrs has reported Galoncus perniciosus infestation in tigers in 1928. The observations discussed in this paper warrant a detailed investigation to screen the tiger and leopard populations, both captive and wild, and to elucidate the pathogenesis and life cycle of the parasite. Research in developing better methods to diagnose the infestation is highly warranted, as the ova may not be observed during faecal sample examination due to its low number. Efficacy of conventional treatment should also be assessed as the adult worm is seen embedded in nodules.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT The authors are thankful to Mr.C.S. Yalakki, Former Director ofDepartment of Museums & Zoos, Thiruvananthapuram for the encouragement and facilities provided to undertake this study.

REFERENCES Anderson, R. C. (1992) Nematode parasites of vertebrates Their development and transmission. CAB International, Willingford, Oxon.UK. Cohrs, P. (1928) Paragonimus westermaniund primares Plattenepithel-Karzinom in der Lunge, sowie parasitare durchGaloncus pernitiosus verursachte Knoten im Dunndarm eines Konigs-tigers. Beitr.Path.Anat.81:101-20. Pythal, C., Madhavan Pillai, K., George Varghese, C. and Surendranathan, T. (1993) Death of a wild Indian Leopard Panthera pardus fusca (Meyer) due to parasitism with lung fluke Paragonimus westermani (Kerbert, 1878)and hookworm Galoncus perniciosus (Linstow, 1885).J. Vet. Anim. Sci.24 (1):44-46.

WEBSITE FOR KERALA VETERINARY AND ANIMAL SCIENCES UNIVERSITY LAUNCHED www.kvasu.ac.in Kerala Veterinary and Animal Sciences University, Pookot, Wayanad is the youngest Veterinary University in the world. Government of Kerala has established the university to give a better focus to education, research, entrepreneurship and extension in the field livestock production. Considering the research and career potential, university is planning to start various new generation courses in different aspects of animal and biological sciences. Moreover, the University is planning to explore research collaborations with other research institutions within the country and abroad and is interested in seeking endowments and fellowships from different academic agencies.

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Website of Kerala Veterinary and Animal Sciences University - www.kvasu.ac.in is very unique with regard to its content and management. Website clearly depicts University's motto â&#x20AC;&#x153;ideas in action.â&#x20AC;? Emphasis is given to thrust areas like Academics, Research, Entrepreneurship, Clinical services, Research initiatives, News, Forthcoming events and Extension in Veterinary & Animal Sciences and Dairy Science & Technology. Taking into account the growing importance of market led extension approach as envisaged in the National Agricultural Policy, KVASU has included research highlights pertaining to sustainable livestock production in the website. Separate links has been assigned to different agencies working for livestock production, funding agencies, educational and career based articles.

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Kerala Veterinary and Animal Sciences University (KVASU) has gone online from 3rd February 2011. Hon'ble Union Minister for Food, Civil Supplies and Public Distribution System Prof. K.V.Thomas officially launched the website in a function held at Hotel Mascot, Thiruvananthapuram. Sri. C. Divakaran Minister for Food, Civil Supplies, Animal Husbandry and Dairying presided over the function. Sri. Subrato Biswas, IAS Secretary, Animal Husbandry and Dairying, Government of Kerala and Dr. B.Ashok, Vice Chancellor, Kerala Veterinary and Animal Sciences University have also graced the occasion.

CLINICAL REPORT

PYOMETRA IN A LIONESS- A CASE REPORT 1

Swapna, S.A. , Julie, B. and Jayakumar, C.S. Chief Disease Investigation Office,Palode, Thiruvananthapuram

INTRODUCTION Pyometra is a condition characterized by progressive accumulation of pus in the uterus and the presence of functional luteal tissue in the ovary. Incidence of pyometra is quite high in dogs but low in queens (Aeillo, 1998). Also reports in wild animals are scanty. A case of death in a lioness due to pyometra is being reported.

CASE HISTORY AND POST-MORTEM FINDINGS

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An eleven year old nulliparous lioness (Panthera leo) which was kept in open enclosure with other females at zoological garden, Thiruvananthapuram was found dead in the morning. The animal appeared dull since last two days. Post-mortem examination was conducted. On opening the peritoneal cavity, about four to five litres of blood tinged, purulent, inflammatory exudates devoid of fibrin drained out. Both the horns of uterus were enlarged and filled with purulent, chocolate coloured, thick viscid exudates. Uterine wall was friable. Mucosa was odematous, thickened and haemorrhagic. There were three luteal cysts on left ovary and a follicular cyst on the right ovary. Stomach and intestinal contents were scanty pointing that the animal could have been off-fed for a few days. Other visceral organs showed lesions indicative of toxaemia. Smear of peritoneal fluid showed mixed bacterial population and inflammatory cells with severe degenerative changes. Pus from the uterus

was cultured and E. coli was isolated. Microscopically, the endometrium showed glandular hyperplasia, congestion and infiltration with mononuclear cells.

RESULT AND DISCUSSION Post-mortem examination revealed the death to be due to chronic suppurative metritis (closed pyometra) with secondary acute diffuse peritonitis, leading to toxaemia. In the present case, it is presumed that repeated cyclical effects of oestrogen and progesterone in the nulliparous animal led to cystic glandular hyperplasia and later pyometra with infection by E. coli, a secondary opportunistic pathogen (Aeillo, 1998). Several authors (Frost, 1963; England, 1996) have suggested that the condition is more common in nulliparous animals. The lioness had no history of mating. Extra genital lesions were indicative of severe intoxication and probably bacteraemia. SUMMARY A post mortem case of closed pyometra in a lioness was reported with an objective to record the incidence in captive felines.

REFERENCE: Aeillo, S.E. 1998. The Merck Vet. Manual 8thedn., Merck and Rhone-Poulenc co., p: 1035-1041 England, G, 1996. Infertility in the bitch and queen.In Vet. Reprod. And Obstetrics (Ed. Arthur, G.H., Noakes, D.E., Pearson,H and Parkinson, T.J) 7th edn. W.B. Saunders co., p: 516-551 Frost, R.C. 1963. Vet. Rec:75: 653

1,2&3

Veterinary Surgeon, Department of Animal Husbandry, Kerala

CLINICAL REPORT

CERVICOTOMY APPROACH FOR DYSTOCIA DUE TO IMPERFECT CERVICAL DILATATION (ICD) IN A COW T. Sathiamoorthy, S. Balasubramanian1, S. Rangasamy2, A. Raja3 and S.A. Asokan Department of Clinics, Madras Veterinary College, Tamil Nadu Veterinary and Animal Sciences University Chennai-7.

CASE HISTORYAND OBSERVATION A four year old full term pregnant HolsteinFriesian crossbred cow unable to deliver was presented to the Large Animal Obstetrics Unit of the Madras Veterinary College Teaching Hospital with the history of straining since four hours with fetal limbs protruding outside the vulva. On inquiry, it was reported that the cow had recurrent vagino-cervical prolapse one week earlier and was treated by a local Veterinarian. On clinical examination, the cow had frequent straining and appeared dull and exhausted. The rectal temperature w a s 1 0 2 o F. Va g i n a l e x a m i n a t i o n r e v e a l e d edematousvulval lips with patent vaginal passage. Cervix was partially dilated with thin and inflamed cervical rim. The fetus was in anterior longitudinal presentation (P1), dorso-sacral position (P2) with head 1

Associate Professor, Assistant Professor, PG Scholar Department of ARGO, MVC, Chennai-7.

The cow was treated with inj. calcium borogluconate (350 ml) as slow intravenous drip followed with 5% dextrose normal saline (3000 ml). After 30 minutes, pervaginal examination to assess the cervical relaxation revealed no further progression. The above treatment was repeated. Subsequent pervaginal examination after 30 minutes revealed no appreciable progress. The case was diagnosed as imperfect cervical dilatation (ICD; first degree) and decided to relieve dystocia adopting cervicotomy approach.

TREATMENT Under low caudal epidural anaesthesia with 8 ml of 2% lignocaine HCl., the fetal head was brought to the cervix by applying long obstetrical hook in the inner canthus of the eye so that the cervical folds were tightly engaged over the fetal head. Both the head and forelimbs were kept taut and about 8 cm long incision was made on the right dorso lateral aspect of the cervix involving only the circular muscles. Subsequently, the cervix dilatation was sufficient enough to deliver a live male calf by manual traction. The cervical incision was sutured simple continuous pattern using absorbable polyglycolic acid (Size-2). Mild haemorrhage that occurred was controlled by the application of artery forceps and ice pack. Shark liver oil with sulphanilamide was applied intravaginally to prevent adhesion. Vulval retention suture was applied to prevent the recurrence of vagino-cervical prolapse. The dam was treated with injections of

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Unlike other domestic mammals, the bovine cervix being more muscular, fibrous and tightly closed during pregnancy, may lead to severe dystocia if not properly relaxed and dilated (Roberts, 1971). Incomplete cervical dilatation (ICD) may occur due to inadequate preparation with estrogen and relaxin (Sloss and Dufty, 1980). Ischemia of the cervical region may also be responsible for delayed or ICD during and following correction of uterine torsion. In bovines, cervicotomy may be adopted in certain cases of ICD rather than immediately resorting to caesarean operation (Pearson, 1971). The present report describes cervicotomy approach in a cow with dystocia due to ICD resulting from pre-partum vagino-cervical prolapse.

located anterior to the cervix and resting over the extended forelimbs. The fetal reflexes were palpable.

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INTRODUCTION

CLINICAL REPORT

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dextrose normal saline (2000 ml), Amoxycillinandcloxacillin 3 g, Meloxicam 15 ml, calcium borogluconate (250 ml) and oxytocin (40 I.U) intravenously. Antibiotics, antihistamine, antiinflammatory drugs were continued for the next 5 days. The vulval retention suture was removed on the third day and the cow recovered uneventfully. Pearson (1971) has recommended sectioning the cervix per vaginum in ICD cases, if the birth canal caudal to the cervix is dilated sufficiently to allow delivery and the remaining cervical rim is thin and stretches like a sleeve on the fetus when traction is applied. In the present case, considering the thin and stretchable cervical rim, cervicotomy approach was adopted. Cervicotomy is contraindicated if the cervix is thick and indurated as it might lead to extensive uterine tear (Noakes et al., 2009). Asokanet al. (1993) successfully adopted cervicotomy and tracheolorraphy technique to treat irreducible uterine prolapse in buffaloes. The probable cause of ICD in the present case might be due to the ischemia and inflammatory changes that occurred consequent to recurrent vagino-cervical prolapse. Hence, it may be concluded that in case of ICD of first and second degree, cervicotomy approach can be adopted to relieve dystocia in cows, instead of cesaerean section.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT The authors thank Dr.S.Prathaban, Ph.D., D i r e c t o r o f C l i n i c s , T A N U VA S a n d Dr.C.Veerapandian, Ph.D., Professor and Head, Department of Animal Reproduction, Gynaecology and Obstetrics, Madras Veterinary College, Chennai -7 for the facilities provided.

REFERENCES Asokan,S.A. S.Balasubramanian and S.R.Pattabiraman (1993). Cervicotomy and trachelorraphy- A new method to treat irreducible uterine prolapsed in buffaloes.Indian Vet.J.,70: 355-356. Noakes, D. E. T. J. Parkinson and G.C.W. England (2009). Veterinary Reproduction and Obstetrics, 9th edition, Elsevier publications, p.239. Pearson.H.(1971). Quoated in Noakes, D.E.T.J.Parkinson and G.C.W. England (2009).Veterinary Reproduction and Obstetrics, 9th edition, Elsevier publications, p.239. Roberts, S.J.(1971). Veterinary Obstetrics and Genital Diseases,2ndedn. CBS Publishers and Distributers. Sloss and Dufty(1980). Handbook of Bovine Obstetrics.TheWillams and Wilkins Company, Baltimore,USA, pp-104-105.

CLINICAL REPORT

CLASSICAL SWINE FEVER CASES IN NORTH KERALA DURING THE PERIOD FROM 2006 2010 Chintu Ravishankar1, Jini George2 and Koshy John3 Department of Veterinary Microbiology College of Veterinary and Animal Sciences, Pookot Lakkidi P.O., Wayanad, Kerala

A total of 50 samples (whole blood/spleen/mesenteric lymph node/intestine) from CSF suspected cases were received in the department for diagnosis. The samples were subjected to reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction* (RT-PCR) for detection of viral nuclei acid and/or antigen capture ELISA for detection of CSF virions. The year wise split up of the samples and the results are given in table 1.

1 Assistant Professor, 2Teaching Assistant,3 Associate Professor and Head Department of Veterinary Microbiology, College of Veterinary and Animal Sciences, Pookot

Year

Number of samples Number positive received

2006

3 (42.85%)

2007

1 (7.96%)

2008

2009

5 (29.41%)

2010

Total

9 (18%)

Out of the 50 samples tested during the period, nine (18 per cent) were positive for CSF. Of the nine samples, 7 were positive by RT-PCR; five by ELISA and three by both the tests. (*For samples received from March 2006 to May 2009; RT-PCR was done at Indian Veterinary Research Institute, Izatnagar. Samples received from June 2009 were screened by RT-PCR at Department of Veterinary Microbiology, College of Veterinary and Animal Sciences, Pookot).

REFERENCES Ravishankar, C., Priya, P. M., Mini, M., Rameshkumar, P., Senthamil Selvan, P., Jayesh, V., Sunil, K. S., Sharmadha, M. K., Sreekumaran, T. and Jayaprakasan, V. 2007.First confirmed occurrence of classical swine fever in Kerala state, India.J. Swine Health Prod. 15(3):156159

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After the first report of the disease in the state, there have been further outbreaks/cases of the disease in many parts of North Kerala. This communication deals with the summary of data on the occurrence of CSF in North Kerala during the period from March 2006 to August 2010 compiled on the basis of the results of tests conducted on CSF suspected samples received in the Department of Veterinary Microbiology during the period.

Table 1. Year wise split up the samples received and the results

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Classical Swine Fever (CSF) is a highly contagious viral disease of swine which can run an acute, sub acute, chronic, atypical or inapparant course. In Kerala, the disease was first reported in pigs from Muttil in Wayanad district of North Kerala in 2006 (Ravishankar et al., 2007). It is caused by CSF virus, a member of the genus Pestivirus, family Flaviviridae,and is closely related antigenically and structurally to bovine viral diarrhea virus and border disease virus.

CLINICAL REPORT

PARALYTIC ILEUS DUE TO AMPHISTOMOSIS IN A COW 1

S. Yogeshpriya , S. Ajithkumar , V. Dhanesh , Roshna Rasheed Kutty and P.C.Alex Department of Clinical Veterinary Medicine, College of Veterinary and Animal Sciences, Mannuthy The adult paramphistomes are found mostly in the fore stomachs and immature forms are found in the duodenum. Adult flukes do not cause overt disease,but immature flukes causes irritation and leads to enteritis (kahn,C.M. 2005). The present report records a functional obstruction or paralytic ileus of intestine due to severe amphistomiosis in a cow.

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CASE HISTORYAND OBSERVATIONS A pluriparous jersey cross cattle was presented to Veterinary College Hospital, Mannuthy with a history of absence of defecation after a bout of diarrheic phase. Animal showed signs of abdominal pain like grinding of the teeth. The animal was weak, dull, anorectic and with distension of left paralumbar fossae. Standard parasitological examination of the faecal sample revealed large number of ova of amphistomes. Clinical examination revealed marked distention of abdomen, fluid splashing sound on percussion of right paralumbar fossae, auscultation revealed absence of normal intestinal sounds (borborrygmus) on the right paralumbar fossae, normal temperature (101.4째 F), respiration (20/min.) and pulse (65/min.). Rectal examination revealed empty rectum and absence of motility . Animal was moderately dehydrated (6%). Rumen liquor was collected using stomach tube and it revealed the presence of macroscopic reddish button like immature amphistomes. Serum biochemical estimation revealed normal potassium and sodium values.

TREATMENT AND DISCUSSION The treatment was carried out with a single dose of oral oxyclozanide 15 mg/kg body weight and metaclopramide @ 0.2mg/ kg body weight intramuscularly. Magnesium sulphate was given orally@ 250 gm once a day for five days. To compensate dehydration, dextrose 5% solution was

administered i.v. @ 40ml/Kg along with ringer lactate injection @ 20ml /Kg i.v. for five days. On the first day calcium borogluconate 450ml was given intravenously. Becomplex injection (XLPLEX ) was given intramuscularly once daily for 3 days. Same dose of oxyclozanide was repeated 3 days after the initial treatment to completely eliminate the parasites. Animal started improving and on fifth day animal voided dung and started taking normal feed. Acid-base imbalances like ruminal lactic acidosis, dehydration, hypocalcemia and hypokalemia were attributed as the reasons for paralytic ileus (Radostits et al.2003). In case of amphistomiosis, immature flukes attach to the duodenal and ileal mucosa which cause severe enteritis leading to electrolyte loss and dehydration which causes reduction of intestinal peristalsis. Physical obstruction like torsion is corrected surgically where as functional obstruction can be treated medically. Fluid therapy and prokinetics like metochlopramide are standard recommendations to treat paralytic ileus apart from the treatment for primary cause. Calcium borogluconate intravenous injection was help to improve the tonicity of fore stomach and intestine(Prathan et al 2008).

REFERENCES Kahn,C.M.(2005): The Merck Veterinary Manual, Ninth edn, Merck & Co.,INC, Whitehouse Station, U.S.276p Pradhan, M.S., Waghaye,U.G., Jadhave, S.G.( 2008). Paralytic ileus in a cattle. Veterinary World 6: 180 Radostits,O.M., Gay, C.C., Blood ,D.C. and Hinchcliff, K.W.(2003):Veterinary Medicine, Ninth edn, Book power,174-175pp Singh ,A .P., Tanwar, R. K., Sharma, S.N. and Gahlot, A.K.(1999): Intas PoliVet.2: 54 1,3&4

P.G. Scholars, Professor, Professor and Head Department of Clinical Veterinary Medicine, College of Veterinary and Animal Sciences, Mannuthy

CLINICAL REPORT

Babesia bigemina INFECTION IN A TWENTY DAY OLD CALF 1

Sunitha Karunakaran , Usha Narayana Pillai , AshaMerina Kuriakose , Aswathy. G , Rajimon. K.T5 and Sumangala.M6 District Veterinary Centre, Palakkad Department of Animal Husbandry, Kerala

INTRODUCTION Babesiosis is caused by intraerythrocytic protozoan parasites of the genus Babesia. Two important species affecting cattle are Babesiabigemina and Babesiabovis and are wide spread in tropical and sub tropical areas. The main vectors of B. bigemina and B. bovis are one host Boophilusspp ticks. In Babesia infections, clinical signs can vary from in apparent to acute severe diseases. In acute diseases, there will be fever, later accompanied by inappetence, increased respiratory rate, anaemia, jaundice, weight loss and haemoglobinuria in final stages. This paper describes a case of acute infection of babesiosis in a twenty day old cross bred Jersey calf.

CASE HISTORY AND CLINICAL OBSERVATION A twenty day old cross bred female jersey calf was presented to District Veterinary Centre, hospital with the history of passing coffee coloured urine. On clinical examination animal had temperature of 105oF and pallor of conjunctival and oral mucous membrane. Infection with haemoprotozoan parasite was suspected and the following samples were collected; thin blood smears prepared from ear tip for Giemsa staining and whole blood in EDTA @ 1mg/ml of blood for haematological evaluation.

Haematological analysis revealed anaemia of lower degree. Based on clinico haematological findings and blood smear examination, the case was diagnosed as Babesiosis due to Babesiabigemina infection.

TREATMENT AND DISCUSSION The animal was treated with, Dimenazineaceturate @ 5 mg/Kg intramuscularly (BERENIL), followed by oral haematinics. The owner was advised to present the animal after one week for further examination. After one week, the peripheral blood smear examination was found to be negative for Babesiaorganisms. Haematological analysis revealed haemoglobin, RBC count and PCV values were within normal range. The animal showed good response and uneventful recovery. In endemic areas of babesiosis calves had a degree of immunity, related both to colostral-derived antibodies and to age, that persists for about 6 months. At high levels of tick transmission, all newborn calves will become infected with Babesia by 6 months of age, show few if any clinical signs, and subsequently be immune. This situation of endemic stability can be upset by either a natural (eg, climatic) or artificial (eg, acaricide treatment) reduction in tick numbers to levels such that tick transmission of Babesia to calves is insufficient to

Veterinary Surgeon, Clinical Laboratory, DVC, Palakkad Associate Professor, COVAS, Pookot, Wayanad 3&4. Veterinary Surgeon, DVC, Palakkad 5. Veterinary Surgeon, CFSP, Palakkad 6. Chief Veterinary Officer, DVC, Palakkad

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Freshly prepared peripheral blood smears from ear tip stained with Giemsa revealed intra erythrocyticmerozoites of the parasites, elongated, slightly bigger, and paired at an acute angle to each other, confirmed as Babesiabigemina (Fig. 1).

CLINICAL REPORT

ensure all are infected during this critical early period (Jorgensen, 2008). Niaziet al., (2008) reported a 7.2 per cent prevalence of babesiosis, out of four hundred and fifteen cross bred cow calves examined less than 2 months of age. The average age at which calves in enzootic areas become infected is 11weeks, but at this early age clinical signs and pathological changes are mild and short lived (Radostitset al., 2000). In the present case, age of calf infected was only 20 days (3 weeks) and history revealed that the mother of calf had been treated for clinical case of babesiosis during third trimester of pregnancy. Intrauterine infection of babesiosis had been reported, but rare (Jorgensen, 2008). Since the incubation period described for clinical cases of baesiosis is one to three weeks, the probable reason for the calf to get infected in the present case may be intrauterine transmission. Imidocarbdipropionate is the drug of choice to treat bovine babeisois followed by Dimenazineaceturate, with 100 per cent and 90 per cent efficacy at 10th day post infection respectively (Niaziet. al., 2008). In the present case also, the animal showed good response to Dimenazineaceturtae @ 5 mg/kg, imtramuscularly as evident from blood picture at 7th day post infection.

SUMMARY A case of acute infection of Babesiabigemina in a twenty day old female cross bred Jersey calf and its successful treatment with Dimenazineaceturate and oral haematinics discussed. Confirmatory diagnosis of Babesiabigemina can be made by examination of peripheral blood smears after Giemsa staining for the demonstration of large, paired merozoites of the protozoan parasites at an acute angle to each other.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT The authors are thankful to the Director, Department of Animal Husbandry and Chief Veterinary Officer, District Veterinary Centre, Palakkad, for the facilities provided.

REFERENCES Jorgensen, W. K. (2008). The Merck Veterinary Manual.9thEdn.The Merck & Co Inc, Whitehouse Station, NJ, USA. pp. 21-26. Radostits, A. M., Gay, C.C., Blood. D.C., and K. W.Hinchcliff. 2000. Veterinary Medicine. A text book of the diseases of cattle, sheep, pigs, goats and horses, 9th Edn., W.B. Saunders Co. Ltd., London. pp. Niazi, N., Khan, M.S., Avais, M., Khan, J.A., Pervez. K., and Ijaz. M. (2008).Pak. J. Agri. Sci. 45:2008

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VETERINARIAN'S OATH MODIFIED

The Executive Board of American Veterinary Medical Association approved an amendment to Veterinarian's Oath to highlight the priority of the profession in animal welfare as well. The responsibility of the veterinarian to ensure adequate animal welfare or to promote good animal welfare was not mentioned in the oath of veterinarians. The newly revised section of the oath the committee's additions appear in bold italics reads as follows: "Being admitted to the profession of veterinary medicine, I solemnly swear to use my scientific knowledge and skills for the benefit of society through the protection of animal health and welfare, the prevention and relief of animal suffering, the conservation of animal resources, the promotion of public health, and the advancement of medical knowledge."

CLINICAL REPORT

EEHV LIKE HAEMORRHAGIC MYOCARDITIS IN A WILD ASIAN ELEPHANT (Elephas maximus) Magnus Paul Kakkassery1, Sunilkumar.V2, Arun Zacharia3, Lali Francis Anand4, Pradeep Kumar,P.R5 Department of Animal Husbandry, Kerala

INTRODUCTION

Death of an elephant was reported by forest officials near Athirapilly waterfalls, Kerala, India. On examination it was a female elephant of approximately 10 years old. The cadaver was observed close to the river, indicating that the animal was on its way to water. The animal was lying on the right lateral recumbence with the limbs extended. Rigor mortis has passed and post-mortem bloating has started. The animal had died 24 hours earlier. No external wounds were present except few skin aberrations on the trunk. There was oedema in the throat, temporal and mandibular regions and on the forelimbs (Fig.1). Abdomen on opening revealed a straw coloured fluid in excess. Examination of mouth revealed cyanosis of tongue. The stomach and small intestine was empty. Stomach was infested with

100 to 200 maggots of Cobboldia elephantis, causing severe gastric myiasis. Congestion was noted in the mesenteric vessels. Intestinal mucosa revealed congestion in several regions. Hypertrophy of Payer's patches was noted on various regions of small intestinal wall. Large intestine contained small amount of partially digested feed material. Liver was oedematous with rounding of edges.

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OBSERVATIONS

Fig. 1

Veterinary dispensary, Athirapilly, Kerala, India. Department of Forest and Wildlife, Kerala, India 3 Wayanad Wildlife Sanctuary, Wayanad, Kerala, India 4 College of Dairy Science and Technology, Thrissur, Kerala, India 5 District Veterinary Centre, Thrissur, Kerala, India 2

Fig. 2

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Elephasmaximus is classified as endangered according to the IUCN red list of threatened species. Western Ghats, a biodiversity hotspot enriched with a wide variety of flora and fauna on the peninsular India is one of the natural habitats of the species. Habitat shrinkage and defragmentation of elephant corridors are major threat for the survival of the species. In this context, newly emerging diseases like Endotheliotropic elephant herpes virus (EEHV) may cause even greater threat to the species survival. This case is dealing with an elephant died with lesions similar to EEHV lesions, which was tested negative in PCR analysis. This gains importance since there are similar cases reported from various parts of Kerala, India with similar lesions.

CLINICAL REPORT

Lungs exhibited diffuse haemorrhage in the parenchyma. Heart on examination revealed ecchymotichaemorrhage on the myocardium. Endocardium revealed severe haemorrhage with severe involvement of cardiac valves (Fig.2). Generalised myocardial oedema with myocarditis was present. Samples were collected from heart, liver and lung on ice for DNA extraction and PCR analysis. The result of PCR analysis to detect Endotheliotropic Elephant Herpes Viral DNA performed at Wildlife Disease Research Laboratory, Wayanad was negative.

DISCUSSION Haemorrhagic myocarditis with pericardial effusion is the typical symptom of EEHV. Other symptoms observed in EEHV infection are haemorrhage throughout the peritoneal cavity, hepatomegally, cyanosis of the tongue, intestinal haemorrhage and ulceration. Early clinical signs of EEHV infection are oedematous swelling of head, neck and thoracic limbs and cyanosis of tongue starting from the tip of tongue (Richman et al., 2000). In the present case peritoneal haemorrhage was absent, but peritoneal cavity was filled with very large quantity of straw coloured fluid as reported by Garner et al. (2009).

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Elephant stomach bot flies (Cobboldia elephantis) have been reported in Asian elephant population by many scientists (Easwaran et al., 2002 and Sanyathitiseree et al., 2009). In this case there were too many larvae on the stomach wall causing gastric myiasis. Adult flies lay eggs near the mouth. The larvae hatch and develop in the mouth cavity and later move to stomach. All three stages of larvae may be observed on stomach wall. Matured third stage larvae exit from the mouth and drop to the ground to pupate (Fowler and Mikota, 2006). . African elephants act as reservoir for herpes virus and which causes disease in two elephant species. Death in EEHV is a result of cardiac failure resulting from herpes virus induced capillary injury with extensive myocardial haemorrhage and oedema. In most animal species the herpes virus are

epitheliotropic or a predilection for nervous tissue. In case of EEHV the virus multiplies in vascular endothelium and forms amphophilic to basophilic intranuclear inclusion bodies which may be considered as pathognomonic of the disease syndrome.

CONCLUSION In the present case lesions described are similar to lesions of EEHV, but PCR analysis was negative for viral DNA. EEHV if spreads to the wild population of Asia, it will devastate the already fragile and critically endangered Asian elephant population. There need to be a better understanding of the epidemiology of EEHV in wild elephant population, so that a better control strategy may be devised, which is totally lacking today.

REFERENCES Easwaran, K.R., Ravindran, R. and Pillai, K.M. (2002).Parasitic infestation of some wild animals at Thekkady in Kerala.Zoos'print J. 18: 1030. Ehlers, B., Burkhardt, S.,Goltz, M., Bergmann, V., Ochs, A., Weiler, H. and Hentschke, J. (2001). Genetic and ultrastructural characterization of a European isolate of the fatal Endotheliotropic elephant herpes virus. J. General Virol. 82: 475-482. Ehlers, B., Dural, G., Marschall, M., Schregal, V., Goltz, M. and Hentschke, J. (2006). Endotheliotropic elephant herpes virus, the first beta herpes virus with a thymidine kinase gene. J. General Virol. 87: 27812789. Fowler, M.E. and Mikota, S.K. (2006).Elephant biology, medicine and surgery. Blackwell Publishing.p.166. Richman, L.K., Montali, R.J., Cambre, R.C., Schmitt, D., Hardy, D., Hildbrandt, T., Bengis, R.G., Hamzech, F.M., Shahkolahi, A. and Hayward, G.S. (2000). J. Wildlife Dis. 36: 1-12. Sanyathitiseree, P., Pinyopanuwat, N., Pharuk, J., Prasitiphol, S., Yabantoong, N., Mueangthong, N., Losanyaluk, B. and Kasorandorkbua, C. 2009. Prevalence of stomach bot flies in a wild elephant from Kanchanaburi province. Kasetsart Veterinarians 19: 42-47.

CLINICAL REPORT

TREATMENT OF CANINE DERMATOMYCOSIS USING FLUCONAZOLE P.P Bineesh , B Ananthapadmanabhan, W Shahjahan and K R Geetha Veterinary Hospital, Koduvally, Kozhikode District, Department of Animal Husbandry, Kerala

Dermatological problems in dogs are one of the common and daunting tasks encountered by a pet animal practitioner (Chandler, 1991). Dermatomycosis is an infection that invades different layers of skin and occurs more frequently in warm, humid tropical areas when animals are housed in conditions of poor sanitation. Younger and immuno-suppressed animals show higher incidence of this disease. The new antimycotic drug, Fluconazole is widely used to cure fungal infections in human. The study was contemplated to find the effect of the drug in the canine dermatomycosis.

lesions were found to be almost disappearing. A lot of new hairs appeared on the body also and lively appearance of the skin was also evident. After 6 weeks, the case was completely cured. In the second dog, no special changes were detectable in the first two weeks. After 4 weeks there were few new hair growths on the areas of lesions and after 6 weeks the lesions were started disappearing gradually. A lot of new hairs were grown with lively appearance of the skin. The lesions were almost disappeared. The condition was completely cured by 7 weeks.

CLINICAL SIGNS, DIAGNOSIS AND TREATMENT

Changes were noticed in both the cases every week and the cases were completely cured by 6-7 weeks. In first dog, a few new hairs were noticed on face and tail and pruritus subsided after 2 weeks. After 4 weeks the

The dose of the drug was calculated according to the rate suggested by Adams (2001). Weekly administration of the drug adopted in Candida infections and in humans and tinea infections (Tripadi, 1999) was found to be effective in the case of dogs also. Pharmacokinetic parameters are constant across man and dog in case of fluconazole, which may be the reason for similar response to the drug in dogs when given at weekly intervals. The response to the treatment and the growth of new hairs in 2- 3 weeks and the disappearance of the lesions in 5-7 weeks were in

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RESULTS AND DISCUSSION

DISCUSSION

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Two dogs were presented in Veterinary hospital, Koduvally, Kozhikode, Kerala, a nondescript male dog of age one year and a female Labrador of 1.5 years. Severe alopecia, pruritus and scaly skin were noticed along with foul odour. The male dog was treated earlier with ayurvedic creams and shampoos, while the second case was treated with Ivermectin and Griseofulvin for 34 weeks; both the therapies couldn't cure the condition. Skin scrapings from both the cases were collected carefully and prepared slides using 20% potassium hydroxide solution for microscopical examination. Gently warmed the slides with low flame, applied cover-slip and examined under the microscope. Both the specimens were positive for ectothrix spores. The treatment started with Fluconazole 150mg tablets orally ('Sysflu') @ 10 mg/ kg body weight, vitamin injections ('Beplex forte') and topical application of 5% povidone iodine solution. The animals were observed every week.

CLINICAL REPORT

accordance with the findings of Or (2000). There were no toxicity symptoms during the treatment period. The effective response to the treatment was obtained probably due to drug's complete absorption from the gastrointestinal tract, increased aqueous solubility which is acid independent and the maintenance of the concentration in the skin similar to plasma (Adams 2001).The failure of the griseofulvin treatment can be attributed to the inefficient absorption of the drug from digestive tract and the delayed accomplishment of the desired concentration of the drug in the skin (Greene 1998). The usage of drug in the dermatomycosis cases was found to be very effective and economical.

REFERENCES Adams, H.R. (2001) Veterinary pharmacology and therapeutics, 8th ed., Iowa State University Press, Ames, Iowa.p930. Chandler E A, Thompson D J, Sutton J B and Price C J (1991) Canine medicine and therapeutics, 3rded, Blackwell Scientific publications, pp-382-383. nd

Green C E (1998) Infectious diseases of dog and cat, 2 ed. WB Saunders company, Philadelphia, London. Or E,Dodurka T and Tan H (2000)Clinical use of the oral antimycotic fluconazole for the detrmatophytosis therapy of the dog. VeterinerFakultesiDergisi(Istanbul) 26(1):215-221 Tripadi K D (1999)Essentails of Medical Pharmaclogy, 4th ed. Jaypeepublicastions, p-777.

CLINICAL REPORT

RENAL CALCULI IN A COW

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P. Biju Veterinary Dispensary, Parathodu, Kottayam District Department of Animal Husbandry, Kerala

A cross-bred cow aged 2 years was presented with a history of dysuria and anorexia. No improvement was noticed upon treatment. The animal died after 1 week. On postmortem examination, the kidneys, ureter, and the bladder revealed calculi of varying sizes ranging from 2 mm to 6.5 cm (fig.). The kidneys appeared pale and soft. All the calyces contained calculi. The largest calculi was recovered from the pelvis of the right kidney. Both the ureters were occluded with calculi. The bladder also contained calculi of varying sizes. The calculi were of different shapes with sharp edges. The chemical examination revealed the calculi were of hippuric acid. No references could be traced out regarding the observation of a kidney stone as big as this.

CLINICAL REPORT

COMPLEMENT FIXATION TEST BASED DETECTION OF Mycoplasma Capricolum sub. spp. Capripneumoniae ANTIBODIES IN THE SERUM OF GOATS Deneke,Y., Misrak,N., Deb,R.and Mathew, D. D.* Indian Veterinary Research Institute,Izatnagar-243122,UP,India JimmaUniversity,College of Agriculture and Veterinary Medicine, Jimma, Ethopia

MATERIALS AND METHODS Serum samples were collected from local goat of Afar region part of Ethiopia. A total of 329 collected sera were subjected for Complement Fixation Test (CFT) for the presence of antibodies to Mccp antigen in Indian Veterinary Research Institute, Izatnagar, UP, India. Complement fixation test was used for testing the antibody of CCPP which was undertaken according to the standard operating procedures by OIE, (2004).

RESULTS AND DISCUSSION Out of 329 collected sera which were subjected to CFT for the detection of antibodies to Mccp antigen, 74 were found to be positive with the prevalence rate of 22.49%. The sero-prevalence of contagious caprine pluero pneumonia at district level is with significant *Corresponding author. Ph.D Scholar Indian Veterinary Research Institute,Izatnagar-243122,UP,India

REFERENCES Solomon, M. (2005): Epidemiological survey of contagious caprine pleuroneumonia in south Omo and Gamogoffa zones of, SNNP Regional state, Ethiopia. In: Abstracts of MSc Theses (1998-2005). FVM, AAU. November 2005, Debre Zeit, Ethiopia. Sharew, A.D., Staak, C., Thiacourt, F. and Roger, F. (2005): A serological investigation in to contagious caprine pleuro pneumonia (CCPP) in Ethiopia. Tropical Animal health and production, 37 (1):11 Laikemariam, Y., Selam, T., Gelagay, A. and Roger, F. (2004): Respiratory mycoplasmosis of small ruminants in Ethiopia. Journal of veterinary association.9, 2. National animal health research center, Sebeta., 67-72. OIE, (2004): Contagious caprine pleuropneumonia. Manual of Diagnostic Tests and vaccines for Terrestrial Animals.Office International des Epizooties. 5thedition. V. II, 623-632.

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Contagious caprine pleuro pneumonia (CCPP) which is caused by Mycoplasma capricolum sub.spp. capripneumoniae (Mccp), a highly contagious, lethal, respiratory infection of goats characterized by several fibrinous pneumonia and sudden death (Sharew et al., 2005). It is a disease of higher economic significance in Africa and Asia where the total goat population is more than 500 million (Laikemariam et al., 2004; OIE, 2004a). In the present study we have attempted to detect antibodies against CCPP in the sera of goats collected from Afar region of Ethopia by complement fixation test (CFT).

difference. Higher prevalence was found in Assaita and low prevalence was found in Amibara. This might be strongly attributed to the presence of different animal management system, production system, population density and presence of carrier animal through the districts of the regions (Solomon, 2005). From these studies it can be concluded that the positive animals can be a potential hazard to the animals which are free of the disease in the area unless the management system is improved.

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INTRODUCTION

GENERAL ARTICLE

OBSTRUCTIVE UROLITHIASIS IN DOGS: ADVANCES IN DIAGNOSIS AND MANAGEMENT Sarada Amma .T1, Sheeja, V.M.2, Rajankutty.K3, John Martin K.D4 and Usha N.Pillai.5 Department of Veterinary Surgery and Radiology, College of Veterinary and Animal Sciences, Mannuthy, Thrissur Kerala Veterinary and Animal Sciences University

The urinary system is designed to dispose off the metabolic waste products in soluble form. Some of these waste products are sparingly soluble and occasionally precipitate out of solution to form crystals. Urolithiasis is such formation of crystals/ calculi from less soluble crystalloids of urine. Such crystals/ small concretions formed become lodged anywhere in the urinary system and may grow to sufficient size/ accumulate to cause clinical signs.

INCIDENCE. Urolithiasis is a very common condition met with in dogs and almost all breeds are affected. Majority of the breeds affected are Labrador Retrievers, German Shepherd Dogs, Dachshunds, Boxers and Pomeranians. Even though incidences in puppies were reported most of the dogs affected were between 4 to 8 years of age. Male dogs are more affected than females.

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Site of occurrence Calculi may form any where in the urinary system. In dogs lower urinary tract obstructions are more common affecting the urethra. Lodging of the calculi are most often encountered in the groove of os penis and behind the level of os penis and at bladder neck Obstruction due to accumulation of calculi through out the length of urethra is also observed. . Nephroliths are calculi formed in the kidney, and ureteroliths in the ureter. Size and shape of calculi varies . Small crystals to large single or multiple calculi are noticed. Large calculi may remain in the bladder with out causing any clinical signs. Small calculi/ gravels in the bladder are causing more clinical signs as it often migrate into urethra and gradually accumulate and lead to partial/complete obstruction to urine flow.

Composition of of calculi The composition of calculi consisted of Magnesium ammonium phosphate (Struvite), Calcium oxalate (Monohydrate, Dihydrate), Calcium hydrogen phosphate dihydrate (Brushite), carbonate apatite, Urates, Calcium phosphate (Hydroxy apatite), Ammonium acid urates, Uric acid, Cystine, Silica, Matrix, Mixed types. The most common types of calculi encountered in dogs are magnesium ammonium phosphate, ammonium acid urate, calcium oxalate and Cystine. Less common types of calculi encountered in dogs include calcium phosphate, silica, sodium acid urate, carbonate, xanthine ETIOPATHOGENESIS Understanding the etiopthognesis of Urolithiasis is an essential pre-requisite for therapy and prevention of calculi. Initiation and growth The initial step in the development of uroliths is the formation of a crystal nidus. It depends upon the super saturation of urine with calculogenic crystalloids and may be influenced by magnitude of renal excretion of the crystalloid, urine pH and crystallization inhibition in urine. Further growth of the crystal nidus depends on its ability to remain in the urinary system, the degree and duration of super saturation of the urine with crystalloids, identical or different from that of the nidus. There are several factors, usually working in combination that lead to urolith formation. Inadequate water intake, consumption of hard water, diet rich in protein, minerals, infection of the urinary system, excess medication leading to variation in urine pH and 1

Professor and Head,2 M.V.Sc Scholar, 3 Professor Associate Professor, Dept.of Surgery and Radiology, CV& AS, Mannuthy 5 Associate professor, Veterinary Clinical Medicine and Jurisprudence 4

GENERAL ARTICLE

Urinary tract infections. Streptococcus, Staphylococci and proteus and E.coli species are common micro organisms encountered. Staphylococci and proteus species are potent urease producer hence they are commonly associated with struvite urolith in dogs. Staphylococci also produce phosphatase in addition to urease. Bacterial phosphatase might increase the concentrations of inorganic phosphorus by action on organic phosphates. The solubility of struvite decreases in alkaline urine. Conversion of urea to ammonia as a result of bacterial urease appears to be important in causing urine to become super saturated with magnesium ammonium phosphate as well as calcium phosphate and carbonate apatite crystals. Urease produced by bacteria increases alkalisation of urine and favours formation of ammonia and carbon dioxide and subsequently carbonate apatite crystals. Both urea and urease are required for alkalisation, super saturation and subsequent precipitation of struvite (Magnesium ammonium phosphate hexahydrate) crystals.

Mineral crystals Urine that is saturated with excess amount of certain minerals are prone to form bladder stones. These minerals commonly include magnesium, phosphorus, calcium and ammonia. Most stones consist of an organic matrix of protein surrounded by crystalline minerals. CLINICAL SYMPTOMS Typical symptoms include dribbling of urine, straining to urinate (stranguria), blood in the urine (hematuria), urinating small amounts frequently (pollakiuria)and distension of urinary bladder. In cystolithiasis there may be polyuria.. Some pets can have bladder stones without any apparent symptoms at all. Soiling of the perineal region due to frequent urination is the typical symptom in female dogs. Bladder distension is not seen unless urethra is obstructed. The calculi in the bladder can be palpated. Distension of bladder on palpation is the apparent sign in complete obstruction of the urethra. DIAGNOSIS

Normally dogs and cats have an acidic urine. Renal tubular acidosis, consumption of diet that reduces production of acid catabiolite and/or prolongation of the post prandial alkaline tide leading to a persistant increase in urine pH.

Based on the history and clinical symptoms. Radiography and ultrasound scanning are used for confirmation to locate the site of occurrence of uroliths. Most of the bladder stones are palpable. Urine analysis and Urine culture reveals the presence of calculi and infection if any. Qualitative analysis provides the most definite diagnosis, prognostic and therapeutic information.

Genetic

Urinalysis.

The high incidence of struvite urolith in some breeds of dogs such as miniature schnauzers suggests a familiar tendency.

A urine analysis is crucial in making a correct diagnosis. The pH of the urine and the presence of blood, pus cells bacteria, crystals and protein provide valuable information.

Urine pH.

Disease One of the many consequences of this disease called Porto-systemic shunts (PSS) is the formation of ammonium urate bladder stones.

Urine culture and sensitivity test:

Medications

Qualitative analysis: Chemical analysis of urine sample and calculi . Quantitative analysis

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Medications that increase or decrease the pH of the urine can also set the stage for stone formation. Some medications can cause formation of stones when used for a along period. Sometimes by increasing the calcium level in the urine.

Culturing the urine will reveal the type of infection involved, and to select effective antibiotics.

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prolonged use of calcium and other mineral supplements etc. are the major causes.

In contrast to chemical methods of analysis physical methods have been proven to be for superior

GENERAL ARTICLE

in the identification of crystalline substances. Physical methods commonly used by lab include combination of polarizing light microscopy, X-ray diffractrometry and IR spectroscopy. THERAPY Therapy of Urolithiasis encompases the relief of obstruction by cystocentesis, elimination of existing calculi by medical/surgical means, eradication or control of urinary tract infection and prevention of recurrence of urolith and treatment for concurrent diseases. Medical dissolution of calculi The objectives of medical management of uroliths are to arrest further urolith growth and to promote urolith dissolution by correcting or controlling underlying abnormalities for therapy to be effective. Useful in partial obstruction and to prevent recurrence. 1.Increasing the volume of urine in which crystalloids are dissolved or suspended to eliminate along with urine 2. Inducing under saturation of urine by increasing the solubility of crystalloids in urine. (Administration of medication and to change urine pH to create an environment less favourable for crystallization.) 3. Reducing the quantity of calculogenic crystalloids in urine. It includes changes in diet, administration of allopurinol to decrease the amount of uric acid formed, and administration of cellulose phosphate to minimize intestinal absorption of calcium.

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4.Medication to inhibit urease production by micro organisms. Acetohydroxamic acid (AHA)@25mg/kg in divided doses was found effective for struvite calculi. 5.Use of hydrochlorothiazide @ 4-8 mg/kg in divided doses are found effective in reducing calcium excretion and used in calcium oxalate. 6. Allopurinol at a dose rate of 30 mg/kg for one month and later at dose rate of 10mg/kg for next month for urate stones. 7. Dissolution of calculi (Struvite) in the urethra and bladder with calculolytic buffer solution

(Walpole's solution) by infusing through the catheter inserted close to the obstructing calculi has been reported. Repeated attempts are required.

SURGICAL TREATMENT In complete obstruction of urethra decompression of the bladder is an emergency by cystocentesis, urethrotomy / cystotomy. Removal of obstructing calculi according to the region affected are to be carried out. The site and technique depends upon the location of the block and the condition of the patient. Usually dogs are presented with urethral blockage and treatment consisted of urethrotomy and or cystotomy. For calculi in kidney nephrotomy, pyelolithotomy, lithotrypsy, US fragmentation (lithotrity) are employed. Prevention of recurrent Urolithiasis Calculi of all types have a tendency to recur following their surgical removal or medical dissolution. Recurrence may be related to (1) Persistence of underlying causes of Urolithiasis (.2) Failure to remove all uroliths from urinary tract especially small caluli (3) Persistence of UTI with urease producing bacteria.(4)Lack of owner or patient compliance with therapeutic or prophylactic recommendations . (5)Prolonged use of medications. Management includes: 1.Increasing urine volume: Provide adequate fluid intake. Administration of diuretics. The primary reason for the use of the diuretic is that, it dilutes the urine, and flush out the tract and decreases the urinary excretion of calcium. However it also increases the urinary excretion of magnesium. 2.The eradication or control of infection of the urinary tract caused by urease producing bacteria is the most important factor for preventing the recurrence of most infection. If recurrent UTI persists in definite therapy with prophylactic doses of antimicrobial agents that are eliminated in urine in high concentration is indicated. These agents include flouroquinolone, nitrofurantoin, ampicillin, and nalidixic acid and chloramphenicol. Maintain urine pH. 3 .Supplementary therapy with potassium citrate will be of useful in calcium oxalate Urolithiasis.

GENERAL ARTICLE

4. Diet management. Reduce protein content, leafy vegetables, tomato etc in the feed. CONCLUSION

Hoff, M.E.(1986).Dietary management of struvite cystic calculi in a dog. Mod. Vet. Pract. 90: 883 - 886

Urolithiasis is frequently met with in canine patients. Animals are presented with history of oliguria, difficulty in urination or haematuria. Diagnosis is made by observing clinical symptoms and is confirmed by radiography/Ultrasound scanning.

Ling, G.V. ,Franti, C.E., Ruby, A.L and Johnson,D.L(1998) Urolithiasis in dogs II Breed prevalence and interrelations of breed , sex, age and mineral composition .Am.J.Vet.Res .59(5):624 629

Treatment is successful if attended in early stage itself. Surgical treatment is more effective. It includes decompression of the bladder by cystocentesis, urethrotomy cystotomy, lithotrity according to the location of obstruction and removal of calculi.

Janke, J.J.,Osterstock, J.B.,Wasburn ,K.E.Bissett, W. T. R u s s e l J r. A . J a n d H o o p e r , R.N.(2009).Use of Walpole's solution for treatment of goats with Urolithiasis. J.Am.Vet.Med.Assoc.234: 249-252

Medical treatment includes adequate fluid administration for dilution and elimination of crystals, use of calculolytic drugs, altering pH of urine, altering diet, if necessary and suitable antibiotics to prevent urease production and infection are useful in incomplete block but requires long-term medication to prevent recurrence also.

Ling,G.V.,Franti ,C.E Johnson, D.L and Ruby, A.L (1998).Urolithiasis in Dogs. III: Prevalence of urinary tract infection, age,sex and mineral composition. Am. J. Vet .Res.59: 650-660

Recurrence can be prevented by diuretics, suitable antibiotics, altering pH of urine and diet management

REFERENCES Abdullahi,S.U and Adeyanju, J.B.(1987).Medical dissolution of ammonium urate uroliths in a dog. Mod. Vet. Pract.20: 438 Damodaran, R (2004).Evaluation and Management of Urolithiasis in Dogs. M.V.Sc. Thesis submitted to Kerala Agricultural University, Vellanikkara, Thrissur.p.99 Dowling, M.P.(1996). Anti microbial therapy of urinary tract infections.Can.Vet.J.37:438-441.

Markwell,P.J. and Stevenson,A.E.(2000).Nutritional management of canine Urolithiasis. Advances i n c l i n i c a l n u t r i t i o n Wa l t h a m Focus.Spl.Ed.43-47. Shaw,D.H(1990) A systematic approach to managing lower urinary tract infections. Vet. Med. 91:379 -386 Sheeja,V.M.(2008) Radiographic evaluation and management of lower urinary tract disorders in dogs. M.V.Sc.Thesis submitted to Kerala Agricultural University, Vellanikkara, Thrissur.p.130 Voros,K., Wladar,S .,Varbley, Tand Fenyes B.(1993). Ultrasonographic diagnosis of urinary bladder calculi in dogs. Canine Pract. 18 :29-33

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Gourley, I.M.,Vasseur P.B.,(1998).,General Small Animal Surgery ., J .B Lippincott Company., Philadelphia .,574 - 612.

GENERAL ARTICLE

LATERAL FLOW ASSAYS IN VETERINARY DIAGNOSIS V I Bishor* and Faisal Siyavudeen ubio Biotechnology Systems Pvt. Ltd. Technology Incubation Center, Kinfra Hi-tech Park, Kalamassery, Cochin, Kerala Ph: +91-9744122269, +91-484-2532966. http://www.ubio.in

One of the main challenges for a versatile application of monitoring technologies in the veterinary and food industry is to develop fast, quantitative and low cost devices that can be used with minimal expertise. Most of the diagnostic technologies in use today require laboratory facilities, expensive equipments and trained personnel. During the last decade, a few technologies have been proposed and developed that fulfill most requirements of versatility mentioned above. One of the most promising approaches is the lateral flow immunoassay technique. Immunoassays are analytical measurement systems that use antibodies as test reagents. These antibodies are attached to some kind of label and then used as reagents to detect the substance of interest. The label can either be an enzyme or coloured particles like colloidal gold, latex beads or carbon/silica nano-particles, and it is used for direct visualization of the reaction. The most commonly used labels are 20-40nm gold particles. These lateral flow assays are especially designed for use at point of care and the results are usually available within 1020 minutes.

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Lateral flow assay principles. The principle of the assay can be illustrated with a canine Parvovirus antigen assay as an example. The canine Parvovirus assay is an immunochromatographic assay as shown in the diagram above. The membrane substrate has a test line which is formed by monoclonal anti-canine Parvovirus antibody, and a control line formed by anti-mouse IgG. The virus in the fecal sample dropped into sample well moves along the sample pad and react with polyclonal anti-canine Parvovirus antibody labeled with colloidal nano-gold on the conjugate pad. The antibody-antigen complex then

moves along the membrane substrate and binds to the monoclonal antibodies on the test line, forming a test line which is colored red by the nano-gold. The excess complex moves further along the substrate and binds with the anti-mouse antibody on the control line, which causes red color to develop along the control line as well. If virus is absent in the sample, only gold-labeled antibody flows along the substrate, and it does not bind to the test line, which causes only the control line to appear. Lateral flow assays in companion animal diagnosis These patient side rapid tests are commonly used for diagnosis of canine infectious dieses like Canine distemper, Canine Parvovirus, Canine Adeno virus, Corona virus, Canine brucellosis, Ehrlichia canis, Giardia and Heartworm. In case of Canine Distemper, nasal or ocular discharge can be used for virus detection. Fecal swabs are the specimen of choice for canine Parvovirus detection. In antibody tests like Ehrlichia and Brucella canis, whole blood or serum can be used depending on the test format. Similar antibody tests are also available for distemper and parvovirus which is helpful for assessing the vaccination status of animals. These tests usually measure IgG response in the serum. Another important application of these rapid tests is detection of rabies virus in suspected cases. The virus can be detected in saliva or brain samples without much exposure to rabid specimens.

*Director, ubio Biotechnology Systems Pvt Ltd., XII-111-E/F, Technology Incubation Centre, KINFRA Hi-Tech Park, Kalamassery- 683503

GENERAL ARTICLE

Lateral flow assays in Farm animal practice

Assay methodology

The most important application of these rapid tests in farm animal practice is for screening and surveillance. Tests for Brucella and TB antibody can be used for herd screening and elimination of infected animals. Non-structural protein(NSP) antibodies in bovine serum can be detected by these rapid tests, and these tests help in assessing the Foot and Mouth disease status of the herd. This NSP test can also be used for effective and rapid screening of animals at border check posts and to certify animals imported from other areas as disease-free. Similar tests are also available for Rota virus, anthrax and many parasitic diseases.

These rapid tests are designed so that even a technician with limited expertise can perform the test easily. The veterinarian or the technician draws blood (or other suitable specimen depending on the test) from the animal using a syringe or a vacutainer, optionally coated with a clot-activator for faster serum separation. The syringe is kept till the serum separates, and then, 3 drops of serum/sample are added to the sample hole on the test card using a dropper. The results can be read as shown in the diagram above, in just 5-10 minutes. After the test is complete and result recorded, the used kits should be disposed of according to standard disposal procedure followed for clinical specimens in veterinary hospitals and labs.

Food testing and feed testing Aflatoxin B1 is a severe problem in cattle and poultry feeds affecting the health and productivity of these animals. A rapid screening test which can detect Aflatoxin B1 in feed is very of critical importance in farms and feed manufacturing plants. Lateral flow assays can be designed for quantification of Aflatoxin B1 using a competitive immunoassay format. These tests are supplemented with an easy and rapid extraction procedure using ethyl acetate. By this method Aflatoxin B1 levels as a low as 2ppb can be detected in feed. This test is easier and cheaper compared to HPLC or TLC methods and there is no need to handle toxic Aflatoxin standards and solvents. Rapid tests advantages. The advantages of lateral flow based rapid tests are1. Quick results, available in just a few minutes. 2. Requires no instrumentation. 3. Easy to use. 4. Allows decentralized implementation (serum transport not required) 5. No, or low, capital expenditure. 6. Able to execute the test and read result in the field itself. 7. Does not require refrigerated storage.

Lateral flow assay kits in India. In India these kits are manufactured by ubio Biotechnology Systems Pvt Ltd, a biotechnology company located in Cochin, Kerala under the brand quickVET. These tests are available in single tests and 10 test format to veterinarians. Further details can be obtained from www.ubio.in

REFERENCES Anon. (1998) Immunochromatographic, Lateral Flow or Strip Tests Development Ideas, Bangs Laboratories, Inc. 9025 Technology Drive, Fishers, IN 46038-7034 Henk L. Smits,et al (1999) Development and Evaluation of a Rapid Dipstick Assay for Serodiagnosis of Acute Human Brucellosis J .Clin. Microbiol, 37: 12 McCauley, T.C., Dawson, G.R., Oyarzo, J.N., McVicker, J., Marks, S..F. and Roy L. A (2004) Developing and validating a lateral-flow cassette for fertility diagnostics in bulls. IVD Technology 10: 3 Snowden K, Hommel M. (1991) Antigen detection immunoassay using dipsticks and colloidal dyes. J Immunol Methods , 24: 140(1):57-65

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All avian screening tests can be produced in this format. However the most widely used tests for poultry farms are avian influenza tests. Throughout the world this test is accepted as a screening method.

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Avian Tests

GENERAL ARTICLE

EMBRYO SEXING- RECENT APPROACHES IN DOMESTIC ANIMALS Pratheesh M.D*, Harish C, Radhika Syam, Anoopraj.R Indian Veterinary Research Institute,Izatnagar-243122,UP,India

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INTRODUCTION The desire to manipulate sex is for obvious in Livestock industry. Some sectors of the livestock industry benefit from a higher proportion of male progeny, the most notable being beef stud breeders. In most cases however female progeny are preferred for milk production and their reproductive potential. In countries like India where cattle slaughter is banned, the male calves are just a burden for the livestock industry and lowering the economy of the livestock farmer. It would be most efficient to control the sex at the time of conception so all offspring would be of the desired sex. The development of embryo transfer procedures has created the potential for embryo sexing as an alternative method of controlling the sex of offspring. Several approaches have been used to determine the sex of bovine embryos prior to embryo transfer .some of them are being discussed below. 1.Detection of H-YAntigen The male specific H-YAntigen has been found on the surface of somatic cells in the heterogametic sex of all the species. Using immunological techniques, the presence of HYAntigen has been demonstrated on cells of 8-cell stage through to the blastocyst stage in bovine embryos and after this stage it becomes increasingly difficult to detect. When embryos are incubated in vitro with this antisera in the presence of compliment, lysis of male cell results ( embryo cytotoxicity assay). Embryo cytotoxicity assays as described above is limited to the production of female embryos only as male embryos will be destroyed. This limitation can be overcome by using fluorescent tagged antisera and avoiding compliment in the incubating media. The advantages of an immunological approach to embryo sexing are considerable. This procedure is noninvasive and require no specific manipulation skills and embryo viability apparently is not compromised.

2.Cytogenetics analysis or Karyotyping. The presence of Barr body (examined by Aceto orcien staining) formed from the inactive Xchromosome in female cells is not reliable indicator of sex in case of domestic animals. The granular nature of the cytoplasm makes observation of the barrbody difficult, and some female embryos may be determined to be males due to the absence of barr body before X chromosome inactivation is complete. Blastocyst stage of roughly 6-8 days post conception/IVF in bovine are cultured with a mitosis arresting agent ( like colchicines). The cell nuclei are expanded in a hypnotic salt solution, and individual sex chromosome and autosomes are examined microscopically. The requirement for the skilled cytogeneticist and the inefficiencies of technique make it unlikely that the cytogenetics approach to embryo sexing will have commercial application. However it may be used to confirm the results achieved by alternative methods of embryo sexing. 3. X- Linked enzyme analysis The mammalian males are XY and females has XX sex chromosome compliment. The exact timing of the X-Chromosome inactivation in embryos of domestic animals is not known, but it likely begins to occur during the blastocyst stage. For a brief time during the embryonic development before X chromosome inactivation, embryos theoretically can be distinguished as male or female by measurement of gene dosage for X-linked enzymes. The cellular concentration and activity of certain enzymes including Glucose -6- phosphate dehydrogenase (G6PD), hypoxanthine phosphoribosyl transferase (HPRT) have been investigated. The approach of embryo sexing is complicated by the fact that variable X chromosome dosage is limited to the period after the activation of embryonic genome and before X-chromosome inactivation. Moreover reports suggest the assay may be toxic to the embryos. *Ph.D Scholar, Indian Veterinary Research Institute,Izatnagar-243122,UP,India

GENERAL ARTICLE

embryos are sex dependent, and that male embryos develop at a faster rate than female embryos. Sex dependent developmental rates have also been reported for in vitro fertilized embryos. Avery et al.,1991 reported that 95% of fastest developing embryos were male. Practical significance of this approach is poor due to the relative inability to predict the sex of the entire population of embryos. Commercial Applications Routine use of embryo sexing is economically encouraged by the savings in recipient procurement and maintenance if embryos of the undesired sex are not transferred. Because commercial embryo transfer is restricted to the purebred industry, individual offspring of the desired sex are of high value and any loss of production of these individuals carries a high cost. The costs associated with international shipment of embryos (health tests, duties, etc.) make it highly advantageous to ship only embryos of the desired sex. The only sex determination procedures (Yspecific probes) that have been used at a commercial level are invasive and result in damage to the zona pellucida. Because of a concern for disease transmission from embryos without an intact zona pellucida , no country, at this time, will accept for import embryos with a damaged zona pellucida from embryo sexing procedures. With present technology, embryo sexing based on Ychromo- some-specific sequences is the method of choice because of its high degree of accuracy. Bondioli, K. R., M. E. Westhusin, and C. R. Looney. 1990. Production of identical bovine offspring by nuclear transfer. Theri-ogenology 33:165. Herr, C. M., and K. C. Reed. 1991. Micromanipulation of bovine embryos for sex determination. Theriogenology 3545. Kahn, W. 1990. Sonographic imaging of the bovine fetus. Theri-ogenology 33385. King, W. A. 1984. Sexing embryos by cytological methods. Theriogenology 21:7. Vergnaud, G., D. C. Page, M.-C. Simmler, L. Brown, F. Rouyer, B. Noel, D. Botstein, A. de la Chapelle, and J. Weissenbach. 1988. A deletion map of the human Y chromosome based on DNA hybridization.Am. J. Hum. Genet. 38:109.

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REFERENCES

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4. Y specific DNA Probe Several patented Y specific DNA probes have been made available for sheep cattle and man. This method is applied to individual embryos. Embryo biopsy is the first step for this and which can be done by many microsurgical procedures like aspiration or by micro blade biopsy. Transfer of biopsy to the PCR tube is critical step in embryo sexing technique. PCR amplification of the Y- Chromosome specific gene( SRY) and an autosomal gene (Aml-X) as internal control is the second step in embryo sexing. On electrophoresis the presence of Y-Chromosomal fragments indicate male and its absence indicates female sample, while autosomal fragments present in both samples. Because in this procedure both the fragments are co-amplifies, the PCR is known as Duplex-PCR. PCR Probing is undoubtedly the most accurate method of sexing embryos, but more widespread commercial applications are limited by the fact that embryos have to be probed individually , necessitating skilful micromanipulation. 5. LAMP (Loop Mediated isothermal amplifications)LAMP is simple and easy to perform technique which is both sensitive and rapid under isothermal conditions. The product of LAMP is detected by the turbidity of a reaction mixture without electrophoresis. The LAMP reaction includes autocycling, strand displacement DNA synthesis. A specially designed set of two inner and outer primers is used, but later during the cycling reaction only the inner primers are used for strand displacement DNA synthesis. So it amplifies target sequences with high selectivity. One of the characteristics of LAMP is its ability to synthesize an extremely large amount of DNA. Accordingly large amount of byproduct magnesium pyrophosphate is produced in the form of white precipitate, which allows easy detection of nucleic acids amplified by the LAMP method. The total time needed for embryo sexing is 1 hour and accuracy of sexing is 75-100%. No special apparatus is needed, which makes it more economical and practical than nested PCR and Real time PCR. Sex determination with this technique has been found to be more sensitive than polymerase chain reaction. LAMP based embryo sexing has been found to determine gender accurately and it is suitable for field application 6. Differential development rates. Studies reported that developmental rates of

GENERAL ARTICLE

EFFECT OF DIETARY SUPPLEMENTATION OF ORGANIC CHROMIUM IN LACTATING COWS Hareesh. P.S Department of Animal Husbandry, Kerala

INTRODUCTION The more intensive system of farming with the objective of raising the milk production has increased the stress factors on the dairy cows. The transition period of late gestation through early lactation is a particularly crucial time for high producing dairy cows and during this period the cows are under great physical, nutritional and metabolic stresses which are reflected in altered hormone profiles and increased disease or disorder susceptibility. During this period high yielding animals are in a negative energy balance and they require a large amount and rapid supply of glucose for milk lactose synthesis which results in lower plasma glucose and insulin, compared with later in lactation. The ability of insulin to control glucose utilization and partitioning determines milk production, fertility and health status of cows.

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THE ROLE OF CHROMIUM Chromium is an integral component of the Glucose Tolerance Factor (GTF) which is an organometallic molecule potentiating the effect of insulin binding to receptors at the cell surface. With chromium acting as a cofactor of insulin, it is required for normal functioning of the Ă&#x; cells in the pancreas, preventing hyper responsiveness of insulin secretion to glucose stimulation. Glucose Tolerance Factor was first isolated from pork kidney and brewer's yeast and it has a much greater biological activity than do inorganic sources of chromium alone. Glucose Tolerance Factor consists of chromium (Cr+3), organic components of nicotinic acid, glycine, glutamic acid and cysteine and without chromium at its core it is inactive.Chromium in plants is organically complexed with concentrations approximating 30 to 50 ppb reported in very limited studies. Good natural sources, in addition to brewer's

yeast, include dark chocolate, black pepper and some processed meats. Higher concentrations of total chromium in diets would probably be due to contamination in feedstuffs, particularly forages, or high contamination in mineral supplements. Circulating chromium is associated with the Ă&#x;globulin portions of plasma and in physiologic concentrations is transported to tissues bound to transferrin and possibly as a component of GTF. Unlike elements such as calcium and magnesium there is no equilibrium between tissue stores of chromium and plasma. Absorbed chromium is mainly excreted in the urine. Small amounts, however, are lost in perspiration, milk and bile. Inorganic chromium is very poorly absorbed within a range of 0.4 to 2 % while the availability of organic chromium is more than 10 times higher. Also the inorganic chromium must be converted to an organic complex, such as GTF to enable the physiological functioning of chromium. Conversion of inorganic chromium in the liver or kidneys to the bioactive form may be slow and therefore supplying chromium in the preformed organic complex form increases absorption reduces variability in responses and negates the need for adequate dietary precursors like nicotinic acid, certain amino acids to aid inorganic chromium absorption and conversion to the bioactive form. Chromium supplementation of cattle diets has affected carbohydrate and lipid metabolism in a number of studies using various forms of supplemental chromium which include chromium chloride, chromium tripicolinate, chromium nicotinic acid complex, chromium amino acid chelate, chromium propionate and high chromium yeast. The variation in responses observed between different studies may Veterinary Surgeon, Special Livestock Breeding Programme, Thiroor Circle, Thrisssur Department of Animal Husbandry, Kerala

GENERAL ARTICLE

Supplemental organic chromium can increase the rate of gain anywhere from 0 to 30 per cent depending upon the level of stress or disease challenge. However, chromium does not actually increase the rate of gain; rather it prevents the depression in rate of gain which often occurs under stressful or other conditions leading to chromium deficiency. To be fully effective, supplementation at an adequate level must begin early in the disease challenge or stress period.

immune system. Supplemental organic chromium is found to improve the milk production of young dairy cattle during stress periods, reduce age related metabolic disorders like ketosis and also decrease the incidence of milk fever, retained placenta and even acidosis.

CONCLUSION

Supplemental organic chromium may be needed or economically beneficial in the following circumstances:

Organic chromium supplementation in the concentrate mixture improves the dry matter intake, total milk production and help to maintain the peak yield as well as persistency of milk production in early lactating crossbred cows. The postpartum reproductive performance will also be influenced favorably by the supplementation of organic chromium in crossbred cows.

During heat stress periods.

REFERENCES

With poorly managed animals subject to more pathogenic, environmental and even nutritional stress.

In borderline or lower protein diets.

Rations containing high level of silages particularly legume silages which have excess non protein nitrogenous substances or soluble nitrogen leading to stress due to nutritional imbalance.

Hayirli, A., Bermmer, D.R., Bertics, S.J., Socha, M.T. and Grummer, R.R. 2001. Effect of chromium supplementation on production and metabolic parameters in periparturient dairy cows.J. Dairy.Sci. 84:1218-1230

In low effective fibre diets.

Fineness of silage or hay chop and level or type of non-structural carbohydrates have a major effect on rumen propionate, which may lead to mobilization of chromium from body stores and probably increase urinary chromium excretion. Another nutritional factor that may influence chromium depletion in ruminants is hyperammonemia or elevated blood ammonia concentration. Chromium seemed to reduce blood cortisol concentrations during stress and promoted improved insulin or insulin like growth factor (IGF-1) sensitivity in target tissues such as muscle, mammary gland and the

Pechova, A., Cech, S., Pavlata, L. and Podhorsky, A. 2003.The influence of chromium supplementation on metabolism, performance and reproduction of dairy cows in a herd with increased occurrence of ketosis.Czech J. Anim. Sci. 48:349-358 Pechova, A. and Pavlata, L. 2007. Chromium as an essential nutrient: a review. Vet. Med. 52: 1-18 Pechova, A., Podhorsky, A., Lokajova, E., Pavlata, L. and Illek, J. 2002b. Metabolic effects of chromium supplementation in dairy cows in the peripartal period.Acta. Vet. Brno. 71: 9-18

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NRC. 1997. The Role of Chromium in Animal Nutrition. First edition. National Academy of Sci., Washington,D.C. p.8

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reflect differences in the bioavailability of these supplemental chromium sources and bioavailability of chromium in the control diet.

GENERAL ARTICLE

PULSE OXIMETRY -PRINCIPLES AND CLINICAL APPLICATIONS IN VETERINARY PRACTICE

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M.K. Narayanan1 and K. Rajankutty2 University Veterinary Hospital, Kokkalai, Thrissur Kerala Veterinary and Animal Sciences University General anaesthesia requires proper monitoring to avoid the potential complications producing irreversible changes leading to death of the patients. Some of the adverse effects are occurring gradually with progressive depression of respiratory and circulatory system. These problems can be prevented by continuous monitoring of the patients. Now a days, a variety of methods and devices are available to assess the functional status of patients. Some of the techniques are too invasive and require technical expertise but some others are relatively easy and non invasive. The most popular non-invasive methods include electrocardiography, pulse oximetry, capnography and sphygmom anometry. These devices provide informations regarding the electrical activity of heart, patient's blood oxygenation, respiratory activity and arterial blood pressure directly, though there are some limitations with each procedure. This article is indented to make the practitioners familiarize with the principles of pulse oximetry, its clinical applications and limitations in veterinary practice. It is a most popularly employed non invasive monitoring procedure adopted in human anaesthesia and critical care patients since 1980s.

(SpO2) with an early warning of desaturation, it enables clinicians to respond with preventive or corrective measures before severe problems occur. In pulse oximetry, oxygen status at the tissue level will be indicated before clinical signs are evident. SpO2 reading above 95% indicates normal, 90% indicate minor desaturation and less than 85% indicate hypoxemia. The 85% saturation in pulse oximetry is equivalent to 55 mmHg in PaO2 in blood gas analysis. The desaturation is not evident clinically as cyanosis until enough deoxygenated blood is present to produce blue discolouration. Once cyanosis is observed, such patients are already in a severe state of hypoxemia, the consequences of which may be difficult to reverse.

Pulse oximeter is a compact, portable device used for monitoring oxygen saturation in the peripheral circulation. The colour of blood is a reflection of its oxygen saturation and it changes with oxygen saturation due to the optical properties of the haemoglobin molecule, more specifically, the heam. Before pulse oximeters were available, the arterial oxy haemoglobin saturation was assessed with the use of blood gas analyzers. This technique is expensive and requires invasive sampling of arterial blood and provides only intermittent monitoring. ie., pulse oximetry is an excellent alternative tool for measuring PaO2 with a blood gas analyzer. As pulse oximetry provides a continuous estimate of the oxygen saturation of haemoglobin in arterial blood

PRINCIPLES:

In anaesthesia, pulse oximetry provides warning signals of hypoxemia, anaesthetic equipment failure, disconnection of patient from oxygen source, endotracheal tube etc. In a normal healthy patient subjected to elective surgical procedures, pulse oximetry is not required obviously but it is certainly essential in emergency and critical care of compromised animal patients along with arterial blood gas analysis or alone. Pulse oximeter is also a useful tool in assessing the intestinal perfusion and vitality. The principle of pulse oximetry is quite simple. As the blood deoxygenates, it becomes increasingly less permeable to red light. The tissues then loose its pinkish appearance, taking on a blue tint. Pulse oximetry is based on two physical principles (1) the absorbance spectra of oxygenated haemoglobin is different from that of deoxygenated haemoglobin and (2) the pulsatile component of arterial blood can be distinguished as volume fluctuations between the source of light and detector. By design, pulse oximeter utilizes two light emitting diodes (LEDs) with wavelength of red light at approximately 660 mm and infrared light at 1

Assistant Professor, Professor & Head University Veterinary Hospital, Kokkalai, Thrissur

GENERAL ARTICLE

TECHNIQUE: Two types of probes are available transmission (lingual) and reflectance (rectal and oesophageal).The probe of the pulse oximeter can be attached on the tongue, ear, oesophagus, rectum, vulval lips or on the nipple of the teat. The size, location, application and positioning of the probe of pulse oximeter present unique challenges in veterinary patients. The difference in tissue thickness and pigmentation can affect signal detection. The pressure on the probe site can result in vasoconstriction and inadequate signal detection, which can be rectified by relocating the probe. In anaesthetized / unconscious animal, the tongue appears to provide the most reliable signal detection site but this is rarely tolerated by an awake animal. Apart from the site mentioned earlier, the probe can apply on digits, Achilles tendon, lip, skin fold of the flank or axila, etc. In general, use a site with thinnest skin area is selected. Once the site has been selected, the hair is clipped and the area is cleaned before attaching the probe. While attaching the probe, make sure that the probe is in full contact without creating too much compression and make sure that the light emitting diodes are aligned. Factors adversely affect the readings 1. Presence of intense light sources like O.T. light can give false information and this be prevented by

4. 5.

CONCLUSION Pulse oximetry is a minimum standard method for monitoring patients during anaesthesia and critical care situations. Pulse oximetry can provide early warning signs of dangerous desaturation events, which enables clinicians to respond with preventive or corrective measures before severe problems occur. But it is up to the clinician, the ultimate “Signal Processor” in interpreting the data.

Pulse oximetry probe of multi paramonitor attached to the tongue Issue 1 April 2011

When a pulse oximeter probe is placed over a bed of tissues, two light emitting diodes (LEDs) on one side of the probe emit red and infrared light. The light is detected on the other side of the tissue bed by a photo detector that produce a current proportional to the intensity of light transmitted through the tissues. The values displayed digitally are based on the empirically derived tables, and a pulsating arterial supply is essential for getting the readings in pulse oximeter. A photo detector, placed opposite to these LEDs across the arterial vascular bed, measures the intensity of transmitted light across the vascular bed. The difference in the intensity of transmitted light between two LEDs is caused by the difference in the absorption of light by oxygenated and deoxygenated haemoglobin contained within the vascular bed. The determination of arterial haemoglobin oxygen saturation is computed by the pulse oximeter from the relative amount of light transmitted to the photo detector and are displayed digitally.

placing a towel over the sensor. Circumstances of low perfusion, only very small amount of arterial blood may flow into the arteriolar bed results in weak pulsatile activity. Clinically this may be recognized with hypothermic or hypotensive patients. Increased motion may result in increased activity at the sensor and the photographic detector may be unable to differentiate between pulsation that are due to motion and that which are truly arterial. Long hairs, thick and pigmented skin etc. can inhibit light transmission. Dye injection / icterus, oedematous tissues etc gives false results.

REFERENCES Allen J.L. (1992), Pulse oximetry in everyday zoological practice Vet. Rec;130: 354-355. M. K. Narayanan (2008), Ph.D Thesis “Midazolam in combination with glycopyrrolate and xylazine as a preanaesthetic for general anaesthesia in dogs” submitted to Kerala Agricultural University.

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approximately 920 mm. to determine oxy haemoglobin saturation.

GENERAL ARTICLE

Fertility. Wagyu cattle are very fertile and readily adapt to wide range of climatic condition. Most females cycles before 12 months of age. Usually heifers are inseminated for the first time as early as 13 months ,but 15-17 months is more common. Official data on conception rates suggests that the success rate with AI mating is usually in 82-85 % range. Bulls can reliably service 50% more females than other breeds. Wagyu cattle have low birth weight for easy calving and high growth rates for maximum returns. They mature at moderate size whereas often, large cattle are late maturing and produce poorly with respect to frame to muscle ratio. Fattening Programme. On average ,the steers enter the fattening stage at around 10 months of age and they are slaughtered when 24-26 months old. These animals are fed with a special ration with the energy level gradually being

Health Facts Biochemistry tests conducted by Washington State University on Wagyu fatty tissue indicate that the fat from this breed has a healthier fatty acid profile and an unsaturated-to-saturate fat ratio of 2:1 instead of the 1:1 ratio of regular beef. Because of the Wagyu cattle's genetic predisposition and special diet including beer and sake , wagyu yields a beef that contains a higher percentage of omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids than typical beef. The increased marbling also improves the ratio of monounsaturated fats to saturated fats . REFERENCES. 1. S.P.Malik, K.A.Johnson, O. Sears and J.J.Michal.The growth performance of wagyu- cross cattle.2002 .Third wagyu symposium.39-43. 2. Prof.John W.L.1983 Beef cattle in Japan. University of Queensland Press -22-48. Issue 1 April 2011

Omega 6 fatty acid (CLA) is only present in small amounts in food and best sources are beef and dairy products. CLA has been shown to have potent anti carcinogenic effects, reducing heart diseases, reducing body fat gain, anti inflammatory and increasing immune responses. Wagyu cattle contain the highest amount of CLA per gram of any food stuffs.-about 30% more than other beef breeds-due to higher Linoleic acid level.

raised as the animal is finisher for slaughter at around 24 months. For the first half of the growing and fattening period ,the diet may be relatively low in energy and high in roughage . Management practice include regular massage with oil to improve the distribution and softness of subcutaneous fat ,feeding beer and other special food to stimulate the appetite when the animal is on the high energy ,low bulk finishing ration and the deliberate restriction of exercise to prevent muscle toughness. The result is a mature carcass with bright cherry red meat ,almost al of which is extensively and finely marbled with pure white fat. Wagyu steer carcass contain about 35% fat ,in some cases fat can constitute more than 40% of the carcass. Although the potential breeding life of most cows is much more than 8 years, the value of their carcass drop sharply after they are about eight years old due to a darkening of the meat with this age. Therefore better to prefer breeding stock for fattening and slaughter at relatively young ages.

3. J.Wegner, P.Huff,C.P.Xie (2001),Relationship of plasma leptin concentration to intramuscular fat content in beef from wagyu cattle. Canadian journal of animal science .81 :451-457. 4. Mir, P. S., Bailey, D. R. C., Mir, Z., Entz, T., Jones, S. D. M.,Robertson, W. M., Weselake, R. J. and Lozeman, F. J.1999.Growth,carcass and meatquality characteristics of beef cattle with 0, 50 and 75% Wagyu genetic influence. Can. J. Anim. Sci.

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contained in wagyu is different .Forty percent of it is in a version called Stearic acid ,which is regarded as having a minimal impact in raising cholesterol level. So really , the profile of marbled wagyu beef is very beneficial to human health. â&#x20AC;&#x153;It can be described as a healthier type of meatâ&#x20AC;?.

GENERAL ARTICLE

STRATEGIES TO OVERCOME ANTIMICROBIAL RESISTANCE IN VETERINARY PRACTICE Nisha.A.R1, Vineetha.C.B2, Sreelekha.K.P3 and Dhanya.V.R3 Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, College of Veterinary and Animal Sciences, Mannuthy

Antimicrobial resistance occurs when microorganisms such as bacteria, viruses, fungi and parasites change in ways that render the medications used to cure the infections they cause ineffective. This is a growing global concern because a resistant infection can spread to others, can become lethal and imposes huge costs to individuals and society. A microorganism that develops resistance to all available antimicrobial is often referred to as â&#x20AC;&#x153;superbugâ&#x20AC;?. Antimicrobial resistance is not a new problem but one that is becoming more dangerous; urgent and consolidated efforts are needed to avoid regressing to the pre-antibiotic era.

bacteria have an inherent flexibility that capacitates them to evolve genes that render them resistant to antimicrobials sooner or later. Bacteria can incorporate DNA from different species and even different genera into their own genetic make-up. Also they multiply very rapidly and if the conditions are ideal they can double in 20 minutes. If even one bacteria in a billion is able to survive exposure to an antimicrobial by becoming resistant, then its descendants will quickly reproduce. The use of antimicrobials in human and animals for the last five decades has encouraged the multiplication and spread of resistant strains (Krause, R.M., 1992)

Consequences of Antimicrobial Resistance

Two major forms of Antimicrobial resistance are mutational and transmissible. Mutational resistance occurs from chromosomal mutations in the bacterial DNA that are then transmitted to progeny during replication. This form of resistance develops slowly step by step and requires long time exposure to an antimicrobial to become clinically significant.

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In both humans and animals, antimicrobial resistance development will result in increased death rates and diseases because effective therapy for specific infections is delayed or unavailable. All humans and animals have populations of normal bacteria in and on their bodies. A more subtle effect of resistance on the incidence of disease occurs when a person or animal receives an antimicrobial drug to which a potentially infective or colonizing bacteria is already resistant. Development of resistant bacterial varieties will cause the need for newer drugs and the development of which invariably results in higher costs both for drug developing companies and for the patients. Also it is a complex and time consuming affair in addition to the burden of controlling the spread of resistant isolates (Armyes and Gemmell, 1992)

Emergence of Antimicrobial Resistance Bacteria are highly versatile in their genetic makeup and so can easily develop resistance. All

Mechanisms of Antimicrobial resistance

E.g.: Clinical resistance to fluoroquinolone antimicrobials occurs from chromosomal mutations. Transmissible resistance is more rapid to develop and requires genetic exchange between bacteria. Most of the antimicrobial resistance can be attributed to this form of resistance. Bacteria can transmit the transmissible antimicrobial resistance genes by four different mechanisms: transformation, transduction, conjugation and transposition (Murray, B., 1991) Current Scenario in Antimicrobial Resistance Many global trends have helped to accelerate the spread and speed of infection, including factors such as urbanisation (eg: overcrowding, poor sanitation etc), 1 Assistant Professor, 2 Project Fellow and 3 M.V.Sc Scholar Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology

GENERAL ARTICLE

Another paper published recently by Kumarasamy et al. (2010) highlights the serious threat posed by the NDM-1 (New Delhi metallo-Ă˘-lactamase1) superbug, a microbial threat for which there is limited surveillance and no effective treatment. NDM-1 is a recent entrant in the family of superbugs and produces an enzyme called Metallo-beta-Lactamase-1 (MDM-1). This enzyme helps these bacteria to destroy the most potent antibiotic carbapenem, known to kill most of the known bacteria. E.coli and Klebsiella pneumoniae are the two bacteria which hosts this enzyme. MDM-1 enzymes are produced by strands of DNA which bacteria are known to transfer between one another. So this superbug has the potential to get copied and transferred between bacteria, allowing it to spread rapidly. The superbug was named as New Delhi Metallo-beta-Lactamase-1(NDM-1) after the national capital (New Delhi), where a Swedish patient was reportedly infected after undergoing a surgery in 2008. Most of other patients had carried this infection from India, Pakistan and Bangladesh. Western European countries have managed to decrease the rate of antimicrobial resistance in some pathogens through a multipronged approach in comprehensive well regulated health systems. Integrated monitoring of antibiotic consumption and resistance, prescriber and consumer education that is coordinated and paid for by the government and

WHO Scientific Working Group guidelines for the use of antibiotics in Veterinary field: a) Antibiotics for veterinary use should be available only on prescription by a licensed person; training courses for these persons should be organized by the national authorities b) Countries should be encouraged to prohibit the therapeutic use in animals of certain newer antibiotics that are required for the treatment of serious infections in man (eg.,gentamicin and related aminglycosides, spectinomycin, rifampicin); Chloramphenicol should be reserved for use in man, as this antibiotic is still widely used for the oral treatment of salmonellosis in animals, its use should be restricted to the treatment of infected animals under the care of a veterinary surgeon and the drug should be available for such use only as a parenteral preaparation c)

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Resistance to earlier generation antimalarial medicines such as chloroquine and sulfadoxinepyrimethamine is widespread in most malaria-endemic countries. Falciparum malaria parasites resistant to artemisinins are emerging in South-East Asia; infections show delayed clearance after the start of treatment (indicating resistance). During the past 3 decades, MRSA (methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus) has created significant epidemiological, infection-control, and therapeutic management challenges.

regulation of use in communities and hospitals have shown that it is possible to contain antimicrobial resistance. Pharmacists readily dispense antibiotics without prescription in the developing world as their income depends on sales rather than on a professional fee or salary. Pharmaceutical companies may promote sales of antibiotics independent of patient need. Finally, most antibiotics, by virtue of their safety and short courses, lend themselves to abuse; patients often take antibiotics of their own accord. Improved drug access without significant improvements in appropriate use will have dire consequences, with continued emergence of â&#x20AC;&#x153;superbugsâ&#x20AC;? and untreatable infections. Sub-therapeutic doses of antibiotics are used in animal-rearing for promoting growth or preventing diseases. This can result in resistant microorganisms, which can spread to humans.

Since large numbers of antibiotic preparations are available for mastitis, the use of fixed-ratio combinations of antibiotics should be discouraged

d) The routine use of antibiotics prophylactically, in the absence of proven infection, should be avoided

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Pollution, Environmental degradation , Weather patterns (affecting the incidence and distribution of infection) , 'inappropriate' use of antimicrobials also contributes to the problem - this occurs when they are taken for too short a time, at too low a dose, at inadequate potency, or for the wrong disease, poor infection prevention and control practices .

GENERAL ARTICLE

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On World Health Day (7th April 2011), WHO will issue an international call for action to halt the spread of antimicrobial resistance and it will focus on recommending a six-point policy package for governments in future. However, the war against antimicrobial resistance will have to be fought as long as we must depend on these drugs as our primary means of treating infections.

5 ( ) ( 5 ( 1 &( 6 Armyes,S.G.B., Gemmell,C.G. 1992 Antibiotic resistance in bacteria. J. Med. microbiol, 36:4-29 Clifford McDonald.L., 2006 Trends in Antimicrobial Resistance in Health Care Associated Pathogens and Effect on Treatment.,Clinical Infectious Diseases Vol.42 2: S65-S71 Control of antibiotic-resistant bacteria: Memorandum from a WHO Meeting, 1983, Bulletin of the World Health Organization, 613 : 423-433 Krause, R.M., 1992 The origin of plagues: old and new. Science, 257: 1073-1078 Kumarasamy KK, Toleman MA, Walsh TR, et al. Emergence of a new antibiotic resistance mechanism in India, Pakistan, and the UK: a molecular, biological, and epidemiological study. Lancet Infect Dis 2010; 10:597-602. Murray,B.E. 1991 New aspects of antimicrobial resistance and the resulting therapeutic dilemnas. The j. Infect. dis, 163: 1185-1194 7 RGDU. 7 RGDUV RQOLQH W H[ W ERRN RI SKDUP DFRORJ \ 33

World Veterinary Year 2011

World

Veterinary Year 2011 was opened by the European Commissioner for Health and Consumer Protection, John Dalli, during a ceremony held last January 24th 2011 in France, in Versailles (Yvelines). Here are the excerpts of the speech made by Dr.Tjeerd Jorna, President of the World Veterinary Association at the opening ceremony. “As President of the World Veterinary Association, representing all veterinarians over the world, I’m very pleased and also very honored, to celebrate World Veterinary Year : Vet-2011”.

Bourgelat also educated his students about the Code of Ethics and the principles of Good Veterinary Practice, all contributing to his importance for the profession.

As written on the Vet-2011 web site: “The entire World should join in celebrating our veterinary profession which has been working to improve both animal and human health for the past 250 years. We have to show our well educated profession to the World Society. We have to explain and demonstrate that modern veterinarians are not only animal doctors [practitioners well known by the public] but also are animal welfare advocates, key public health stakeholders, playing a role in food quality and food safety, acting in biomedical research, reducing global hunger and protecting the environment and biodiversity, monitoring and Claude Bourgelat controlling disease changes for animals (March 27, 1712 January 3, 1779) and humans by climate change.”

The importance of Bourgelat’s work also lays in the way he promoted the cooperation between veterinarians and medical doctors. He really promoted the “One Health” concept far avant la lettre. This cooperation made him one the first scientists to suggest that studying animal biology and pathology would help to improve our understanding of human biology and pathology. The concept of comparative pathobiology

The slogans of the VET 2011 Committee: Vet for Health, Vet for Food and Vet for the Planet highlighted by WHO, FAO and IUCN, expresses the 250 year of veterinary science in the service of animal and human health and welfare. The major events on World Veterinary Year 2011 are the 2-day Conference on Veterinary Education in Lyon in May and the closing ceremony during the WVA World Veterinary Congress in Cape Town in October. Veterinary Medicine: a profession to be proud of!

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This year also marks the 250th anniversary of the veterinary profession. The first veterinary association was founded not long thereafter in 1807 in Denmark by Erik Nissen Viborg, director of the veterinary school of Copenhagen. The importance of Claude Bougelat lays in the fact that he was the founder of the veterinary schools in 1761 in Lyon, which is the oldest one in the World still located on its original site, and in 1764 in Alfort.

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This year we commemorate the 250th anniversary of the first veterinary school, officially recognized and funded by the authorities: a landmark in the development of our profession and its contributions to animal health, animal welfare and public health.

described in his book of 1777, still is a key element of modern veterinary education.

ASSOCIATION NEWS

VETERINARIANS ANNUAL CONVENTION 2010 HELD AT COLLEGE OF VETERINARY AND ANIMAL SCIENCES, MANNUTHY Veterinarians annual convention 2010 titled‘Reminiscence 2010’ was held at College of Veterinary and Animal Sciences, Mannuthy, from 26th to 28th of December 2010. The convention, the first after realization of the long cherished dreams of the Veterinary fraternity of Kerala, an exclusive university for Veterinary and Animal Sciences, was a grand success. The first day witnessed participation of delegates from all the districts for the technical seminar in which papers were presented by Dr. S Prathaban, Professor of Clinics, Madras Veterinary College and Dr Kulasekhar of TANUVAS. Annual general body meeting of KVSSA and AHOAK was held at Golden Jubilee Hall and Seminar Hall respectively on 27th December 2010. The cultural evening was inagurated by Prof. Sukumar Azhikkode, noted cultural leader. The Award Nite was

graced by luminaries like Sri Sreeraman, film Actor, Sri Priyanandanan, film Director, Dr K P Ramalingam Member of Parliment and Hon’ Presidentof Tamil Nadu Veterinary Association, Dr V Sunilkumar, M D, KSPDC and Dr K Udayavarman, Director of Musuems and Zoos, Kerala. This was followed by music night and campfire. The curtains of Reminiscence camedown with the General Body meeting of Indian Veterinary Association Kerala and election of Office bearers for year 2011, hoping for a New Year of prosperity for the profession. Logo Release - Sri. Rajaji Mathew Thomas MLA

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Dr Sukumar Azhikode inaugurating the Cultural Evening andAward Nite

Best Veterinarian : Dr. Chandra Mohanan Nair (Alappuzha)

JIVA Release - Dr K P Ramalingam M.P.

Best Lady Veterinarian : Dr G Sharmila (Palakkad)

IVA AWARDS 2010

ASSOCIATION NEWS

INDIAN VETERINARY ASSOCIATION, KERALA THE CENTRAL EXECUTIVE TEAM - 2011

Vice President (North Zone) Dr Mohammed Haneefa PH : 0466-2263217, 9447632370 E-mail : anivet84@gmail.com

Vice. President (Lady) Dr Sissy Philip Ph:9495054730

Joint Secretary (North Zone) Dr. Usha A.P

Treasurer Dr. S. Saiprasad Phone : 04762832645, 9447441627 E-mail :drsai33@gmail.com

PH : 9447088212, 0471-2430771 Email : vetwild@gmail.com

Vice. President (South Zone) Dr B Bahuleyan Ph : 0474-2794941, 9447557515

Joint Secretary (South Zone) Dr. M. Mathew Ph :9447563937

Joint Secretary (Lady) : Dr. R. Usha Ph : 0481-2515050, 9446396881

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PH : 9846075281, 9446572255 Email : drarun1965@yahoo.com

General Secretary Dr. E K Eswaran

Building Committee Member Dr K.C. Prasad Ph : 0471-2281112, 9447081112 E-mail : prasathkc2000@gmail.com

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President Dr K R Arunkumar

ASSOCIATION NEWS

Installation of state level office bearers of IVA, KVSSA and AHOAK for the year 2011 was held at Vets’ Home, Kottayam on 09-01-2011

State Executive Members 1.Dr.Bahuleyan .P(Kollam9447557515)

6.Dr.Santhosh S (Kollam 9447734026)

2.Dr.K.C. Prasad (Thiruvananthapuram 9447081112)

7.Dr. Harikrishnan(Thiruvananthapuram 9447589049)

3.Dr. K R Arun Kumar(Trissur 9846075281)

8.Dr.K D Paul (Trissur 9495196470)

4.Dr.Deepu Philip Mathew (Alappuzha 9447200449)

9.Dr.Mohammed Haneefa (Palakkad 9447632370)

5.Dr.Alex Abraham (Kottayam 9447808310)

10.Dr.Suresh T Oranadi ( Kozhikkode 944707996)

SECRETARIAT DHARNA ORGANISED Plea to rectify the anomalies in the 9 th Pay Revision Commission report

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Veterinarians of Kerala displayed unprecedented solidarity and fiery spirit in protesting against the denial of legitimate demands of Veterinarians of Animal Husbandry Department in the recommendations of the 9th Pay Revision Commission. They took out a rally from Martyrs’ Column, Palayam and held a massive dharna in front of the Government Secretariat, Thiruvananthapuram on 18th January 2011 under the auspices of the joint action council of Indian Veterinary Association, Kerala, Kerala Veterinary Surgeons Service Association, and Animal Husbandry Officers’ Association, Kerala. The turnout for the dharna and rally broke records. About a thousand Veterinarians from all over Kerala participated. Spirits ran high when, Veterinarians who retried from active service and Vets. working in sister organisations participated and owed their support to their counterparts in

AHD. The participation of lady Veterinarians enmase is remarkable. Slogans, banners, posters and placards depicting the protest against the recommendations of Justice Rajendra Babu commission, marked the occasion. Sri Mangode Radhakrishanan MLA inaugurated the dharna. He called upon the cabinet sub committee constituted to study the recommendations of the 9th Pay revision commission, to rectify the anomalies in the recommendations of the 9th PRC with regard to Veterinary officers, considering the pivotal role played by Veterinarians in the implementation of schemes and projects in animal husbandry sector and their role in the food security programme. Dr Joby Geroge General Secretary, KVSSA welcomed the gathering. Sri Sreekumar, State vice president of KGOU, Dr. V. SunilKumar, General Secretary KGOF, Dr. K R Arunkumar, State president IVA, Kerala, Dr C Sreekumar, State President KVSSA, Dr G Sukumara Pillai, State President, AHOAK, Dr E K Eswaran, General Secretary IVA, Dr Sissy Philip,Vice president,IVA,Dr APS Nair,former President,IVA and Dr Vijayakumar of COVAS, Mannuthy addressed the dharna.

ASSOCIATION NEWS

SIGN POST & ACHIEVEMENTS The long standing demand of the associations of Veterinarians for a permanent Director for the Animal Husbandry Department, Kerala, has now materialized by the confirmation of Dr. R .Vijayakumar, in the post of Director of Animal Husbandry Department Kerala, vide G.O(MS) No.: 36/2011/AD dt 04.02.2011. IVA wishes him all laurels.

Dr. N.N. Sasi, Additional Director and Registrar, Kerala State Veterinary Council has promoted as Director of Animal Husbandry and permitted to continue as Registrar, KSVC. He was at the helm of affairs of the department as Director of Animal Husbandry in charge during the period from 1.10.2010 to 4.7.2004. IVA wishes him all laurels Dr. S. Abdul Rahman former Director of Instructions (Vety) University of Agricultural Sciences, Bangalore and Secretary of the Commonwealth Veterinary Association (CVA) was unanimously elected as the President of Commonwealth Veterinary Association at the meeting of the Executive Committee of CVA comprising of Australia, Fiji, United Kingdom, South Africa, Canada and Nigeria, held at Accra, Ghana on 20th March, 2011. He will become President of CVA with effect from 1st January 2012.Dr. S. Abdul Rahman graduated with a bachelors degree in Veterinary Science from Mysore Veterinary College, Bangalore in 1965 and a Masters from University of Madras in 1969 and Ph.D in Veterinary Parasitology from University of Queensland, Australia in 1976. He was awarded the Fellowship of the Royal Veterinary College, Spain in 1990. Dr. H. Subramaniam took charge as Dean, College of Veterinary and Animal Sciences, Mannuthy,Thrissur. He belongs to 1972 batch of COVAS, Mannuthy. He completed Ph.D from COVAS, Mannuthy in Veterinary Parasitology in1998. He was working as Professor and Head of Parasitology since 2005. He has More than 60 research articles to his credit and Guided 6 M.V.Sc and 2 Ph.D students. He Officiated as the Course Director for many trainings of AHD and other agencies and given the Best Course Director award. Dr. Leo Joseph took charge as Dean, College of Veterinary and Animal Sciences, Pookod,Wyanad. He belongs to 1973 batch of COVAS, Mannuthy.he completed phd from UAS, Bangalore in Poultry Science in 1998. He was working as Professor and Head of of University Poultry Farm, Mannuthy. He has Several papers in national and international journals in his credit and Guided 8 PG students in Poultry Science. He Assumed charge as Dean on 21.2.11

JIVA Vol. 9

Dr. Hiron M Harshan, Assistant Professor, Department of Animal Reproduction, College of Veterinary and Animal Sciences of Kerala Veterinary and Animal Sciences University, Mannuthy, Thrissur received the Young Scientist award at the 23rd Kerala Science Congress 2011 held at Thiruvananthapuram for his research on identification of PDC-109 like protein(s) as the factor promoting sperm cryodamage. Dr. Hiron graduated from College of Veterinary and Animal Sciences, Mannuthy during 2002 and did Post graduation and PhD from Indian Veterinary Research Institute.

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Dr. Ajith Kumar K.G, Assistant Professor, Department ofVeterinary Parasitology, College of Veterinary and Animal Sciences, Pookot, won the best poster presentation award in the XXI National Congress of Veterinary Parasitology, held at Mumbai from 5th -7th January 2011. He bagged this award for his poster entitled â&#x20AC;&#x153;Tick Fauna of wild life of Western Ghats region of Wayanad, Keralaâ&#x20AC;?. This is the third award he is getting in poster presentation held at different parts of the country.

ASSOCIATION NEWS

BOOK REVIEW Dr. Sunil Kumar, SVS, VPC, Mattanchery, has released a book through DC Books at International Book Exhibition,Marine Drive, Kochi held from 1st to 7th Feb 2011- “Arumakalude Lokam”- a desktop reference book for Veterinarians on common pets reared in Kerala. He has already authored a book entitled “Naaikalude Lokham” published by Pen Book International.

Dr. Maria Liza Mathew, Retd. Joint Director, has published a book through the Kerala State Institute of Languages, Government of Kerala, Thiruvanamthapuram - “Parisarathininagunna Panni Valarthal”- a reference book for farmers in Kerala. It contains management, reproduction, common diseases and other relevant informations regarding Piggery.

The Kerala State Institute of Languages, Government of Kerala, Thiruvanamthapuram has recently published a book entitled “Aana enna athbhuthajeevi'' written by Dr. G. Ajitkumar, Associate Professor (on leave), College of Veterinary and Animal Sciences, Mannuthy. The author was an active member of the Elephant Study Centre, COVAS, Mannuthy. This book has 9 chapters describing the various aspects of elephant such as mythology and science behind its origin, anatomical and physiological peculiarities, reproduction, musth and its management, common diseases, project elephant and human-elephant relationship and its socio-cultural significance. This book is a good source of basic information for the students and public who love this magnificent megavertebrate.

OBITUARY Dr Premni Eliaz (Daughter of Prof. Dr. N.M. Aeliaz, Retd. Professor, Veterinary College, Thrissur) expired. She was working as Assistant Professor, Department of Clinical Medicine, College of Veterinary and Animal sciences, Mannuthy, Thrissur. Our deep condolences to the bereaved family.

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Dr. P. P. Krishna Iyer Retired Additional Director of Animal Husbandry, Kerala passed away on 15.1.2011 at Wayanad. He belongs to 1954 batch of Madras Veterinary College. May his soul rest in peace. Dr. P. M. Radhakrishnan Retired Deputy Director of Animal Husbandry passed away on 22.3.2011 at Eranjipalam. May his soul rest in peace.

Dr. C. K. Jacob, Cheriamoozhiyil House, Makkapuzha PO, Ranni. (1958 Admissions) expired on 30th January 2011. After brief spell of service in Kerala, he worked in Nigeria and other African countries for long and returned after retirement. He was attending the annual get together of 1958 batch at Thiruvananthapuram at the time of his demise. May his soul rest in peace. Dr.PRADEEPAN.P.V Veterinary Surgeon (1988 batch, COVAS, Mannuthy) expired in a tragic accident while travelling in a train after participating in the Veterinarians’ Secretariat Dharna on 18th January 2011. He was working as Veterinary Surgeon, Veterinary Dispensary, Valavanur, Kalpakanchery, Malappuram. He is survived by his wife Smt. Bindu(Postal department) and son Master. Nithin Pradeep (12yrs). IVA expresses deep condolences to the bereaved family. May the departed soul rest in peace

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