A 3 time calved cross bred Jersey cow with its 20 days old calf was presented to the outpatient medical unit of Veterinary Clinical Complex, Veterinary College and Research Institute, Namakkal with the history of anorexia, mild respiratory distress and eruptions on the skin for a period of 10 days. General clinical examination revealed high temperature, anaemia, icteric conjunctival mucous membrane, enlarged prescapular amp; cutaneous lymph nodes, eruptions on the skin and presence of ticks on the body. Fine needle aspiration cytology of pre scapular lymph node and pheripheral blood smear examintaion confirmed theileriosis. Incidentally its 20 days old calf too had similar symptoms. Both the dam and the calf were treated with suitable therapeutic regimen including blood transfusion.

Nasal washings and faecal samples were collected from 110 cows during the period between July 2019 and June 2020 in and around the Orathandu, Cauvery delta zone of Tamil Nadu to document the seasonal prevalence of Schistosoma nasale and Schistosoma spindale. These samples were processed and screened by using the standard parasitological techniques. Out of 110 nasal washings, 23 samples (20.9%) confirmed the Schistosoma nasale infection by the presence of eggs. No faecal samples could be detected positive for Schistosoma spindale infection during the study period

The polymerase chain reaction (PCR) modification that enables molecular diagnosis and detection viable cells from diverse samples is based on the Viability PCR (V-PCR). In this study, we optimized V-PCR using a candidate L. plantarum probiotic strain and the technique performed efficiently in detecting live cells from an admixed suspension of live and dead cells. Application of the V-PCR on different probiotics strains (B. coagulans, L. plantarum and L. fermentum) also revealed a strong positive correlation in its performance across the strains tested even with an admixture of varied concentration of live and dead cells and different dilutions respectively (r=0.93 to 0.98). We obtained five and four commercial probiotics available for humans and animal use respectively from the market and tested for the recovery of total viable bacteria by agar pour plate method and also the count of viable bacteria by V-PCR. All commercial preparations when tested by the pour plate method recovered their listed viable counts except for the probiotic B and F, and C & G revealed lower counts (<1 to 2 log, and <3 to 4 log respectively) than the the manufacturer’s claims. A semi quantification approach using arbitrary density units with the universal 16S rRNA

The present study was performed to test the fertility of commercially procured sex-sorted frozen bull semen straws in crossbred cattle of Thiruvallur district of Tamil Nadu under field conditions. A total of 60 crossbred heifers and 60 crossbred cows were inseminated with sex-sorted semen straws containing 2 x 106 X-bearing, frozen spermatozoa from six different bulls. Early pregnancy diagnosis was performed around 28-30 day post insemination using commercially available kits. The pregnancy rates were 31.67 per cent (19/60) and 30.00 per cent (18/60) in heifers and cows, respectively and were 40.9 (9/22), 30.77 (4/13), 27.27 (3/14) and 18.18 (2/11) between cows in first, second, third and fourth calving, respectively. The mean pregnancy rates between animals inseminated with Jersey crossbred and Red Sindhi sex-sorted frozen bull semen were 30.00±5.0 and 31.25±6.9, respectively. The conception rate was not statistically significant (P>0.05) between the groups. Foetal sex determination at 65-80 days post insemination using ultrasonography confirmed female foetus in all the pregnancies. Hence, the present field trial concludes similar pregnancy rates with the commercially procured X-bearing sex-sorted frozen semen straws in crossbred cattle along with foetal sex determination revealing female foetus in all pregnant animals.

Two 8-week old Aseel chicks were presented for necropsy from a native chicken farm with the history of swollen left eyelid, dyspnoea, off feed, dullness and sudden death. Gross examination of the carcasses revealed swollen left eye with cheesy exudate on incision. Lungs revealed severe congestion, with multifocal grey consolidated areas (1-2 mm diameter) while, the intestinal lumen was clogged by numerous round worms. Histopathological examination of lungs revealed multifocal granulomatous area with central necrosis, presence of macrophages, lymphocytes and multinucleated giant cells. Special staining with Periodic acid Schiff and Grocott-Gomori’s methenamine silver stain showed the presence of fungal hyphae and spores in the lung lesions. The fungus was identified as Aspergillus sp. by cultural examination. Intestines revealed numerous cut sections of worms with eosinophilic and mononuclear cell infiltration and were identified as Ascaridia galli. Eye lesion had multifocal mild to moderate mononuclear cell infiltration with osseous metaplasia of scleral cartilage in eyeball. Staphylococcus hyicus was isolated from the eye exudate by cultural examination. Etiological diagnosis revealed an outbreak of Aspergillosis, Ascariasis and Staphylococcal blepharitis in the farm.

A crossbred cow in her third parity was presented in the clinics with history of complete gestation period and dystocia. The three limbs were protruding through the vulva without further progress in delivery in spite of traction applied by local area veterinarian. Per vaginum examination revealed fetal monstrosity and a decision to perform subcutaneous fetotomy was taken which resulted in delivery of an ischiopagus monster.

A pluriparous crossbred Jersey cow in early lactation was reported to the Veterinary Clinical Complex, Orathanadu with the history of anorexia, dull and depressed, coffee coloured urine and sternal recumbency for 3 days. On physical examination mucous membranes were slightly icteric, prescapular lymph node was of optimal size and presence of ticks on the surface of the body. Clinical examination revealed subnormal temperature (36.70 C), heart rate - 85 bpm, respiratory rate – 41 bpm (Tachypnoea). Hematology revealed PCV 51%, Hb – 5.2 g /dl and RBC – 3.2 mill/ cumm. Animal was treated with diminazene aceturate (Berenil® MSD Pvt. Ltd.,) @3.5 mg per kg body weight administered deep IM single dose, tranxanemic acid 10 ml IM, oxytetracycline @ 20 mg/ kg IV and supportive therapy for 5 days. Clinical improvement was observed on 7th day of treatement. This present case report describes successful management of Babesia bigemina infection in a transition cow.

Fodder quality and availability are major determinants in profitable ruminant production system. Tamil Nadu Veterinary and Animal Sciences University and Department of Animal Husbandry, Government of Tamil Nadu and other related institutions promote fodder production through several schemes and projects. Intensive fodder production through promotion of sustainable fodder production model under irrigated condition is one among them. The objective of the present study was to validate the fodder production potential of the ten-cent model for livestock feeding. In livestock farm complex Madhavaram, ten-cent model fodder plot was established with Hybrid Napier grass variety Co (BN) 5 in 4 cents area; fodder maize (African Tall) in 1 cent; fodder sorghum (CoFS 31) in 2 cents; fodder cowpea (Co 8) and Velimasal (Desmanthus virgatus) in 1.5 cents area each; Agathi (Sesbania grandiÀora) and Subabul (Leucaena leucocephala) were cultivated as boundary plantation. Standard agronomical management practices were adopted during the study period (15 months) and fodder was harvested at specified intervals. The total biomass yield realized was 9918 kg. The average yield/cut (kg) of Co5, sorghum, maize, cow pea, Desmanthus and Agathi/Subabul were 1340.0, 264.6, 160.0, 178.0, 71.0 and 98.0 kg respectively. Highest fodder yield was noticed during south west monsoon season (2492.0 kg) followed by north east monsoon season (1796.5 kg) and lowest yield noticed in summer season (1465.0 kg). The total CP and TDN yield (on dry matter basis) of ten-cent model fodder plot, estimated from available standards were 1121.71 kg and 5586.58 kg respectively during the study period. The results of this study revealed that quantity and quality of fodder harvested from the ten-cent model fodder plot can support one cattle or five goats for a year. It is possible to sustain one cow or five goats through fodder production in the ten-cent model fodder plot.

Ticks and tick-borne diseases affect animal and human health worldwide and are the cause of significant economic losses. During necropsy of a free ranging wild Asian elephant unusually large, engorged ticks attached to the ear and d ewlap was noticed. On the basis of morphological study, the ticks were identified as Amblyomma integrum. This is the first report on the occurrence of A. integrum ticks on Asian elephant of Tamil Nadu, India. The detailed morphology of the sexes and the medical and veterinary significance of the tick are discussed in the light of available literature.

Newcastle Disease (ND) is a highly infectious disease of poultry causing huge economic loss to the poultry farmers. Newcastle Disease is controlled by vaccination of commercial or backyard poultry using inactivated or live ND vaccines. In the present study, safety and humoral antibody response in birds vaccinated with Newcastle disease virus oral pellet vaccine (NDV OPV) was studied in field conditions. A total of 300 backyard poultry (n=100/ farm) from three different farms were vaccinated with NDV OPV. The vaccinated birds were monitored for any adverse reactions or mortality up to 28 days post vaccination (dpv). There were no untoward reactions or mortality in the vaccinated birds in all the three farms up to 28 dpv. Blood samples (n=8/farm) were collected randomly from vaccinated birds on 0 and 28 dpv in each farm and were subjected to heamagglutination inhibition (HI) test. The mean HI titre was 66, 56 and 25 in farm 1, farm 2 and farm 3 respectively at 28 dpv. All the vaccinated birds had protective HI titre of ≥16 at 28 days post vaccination. In conclusion, Newcastle disease virus oral pellet vaccine (NDV OPV) is safe and induces good protective humoral antibody response and can be used to control ND in backyard poultry.