The present communication deals with concurrent infestation of lice and tick in a peafowl from Cauvery delta region of Tamil Nadu. External examination of the bird revealed presence of six lice and seven tick specimens. The ectoprasites were processed and examined under microscope. The lice and tick specimens were identified as Goniodes pavonis and nymphal stages of Haemaphysalis sp respectively. This is the first study to establish the concurrent infection of Goniodes pavonis and Haemaphysalis sp in peafowl from Cauvery delta region of Tamil Nadu and also first report of Goniodes pavonis in peafowl from India. 

Gross anatomy of sternum in white-breasted waterhen was studied. Bone samples (sternum) were collected from three carcasses of white-breasted waterhen died were brought for postmortem examination to the Department of Veterinary Pathology, Madras Veterinary College, Chennai. The sternum was quadrilateral in shape. The longitudinal groove on the body of the sternum extended proximally and disappeared distally. The antero-lateral process was large, three-sided polygon shaped. Postero-lateral process was clamp-like at its posterior end. Postero-lateral process extended beyond the level of body of the sternum. Foramen ovale wasnoticed in the form of a W- shaped oval notch between the body of the sternum and the postero-lateral process. The anterior border of body of the sternum was noticed with two medial pneumatic notches. 

In India there is no present government policy to survey and evaluate adverse drug events (ADEs) / Pharmacovigilance programme in veterinary medicine. Therefore, essential information such as frequency, severity of treated animal ADRs and reliable data about frequent ADR-producing drugs remains unknown. The objective of the study is to assess and communicate risks and benefits in the market. Ultimately to educate the veterinarians and the stake holders on the safety and efficacy of veterinary drugs and biologicals. To this purpose, a 12 month pilot study based on WHO recommendations was conducted to monitor ADRs in the livestock treated by field veterinarian in the state of Tamil Nadu in India for frequently used drugs and common labeled signs. The present study warrants for the need for sustained veterinary pharmacovigilance programmers in livestock for timely ADR presenting drug reactions and drug safety improvement. 

A biochemical study was conducted in Japanese quail to find out the efficiency of supplementation of diet with Selenium, Vitamin E, Ocimum Sanctum and their combinations on the blood antioxidant status. Day old Japanese quail chicks belonging to the same hatch were purchased and maintained in the Institute of Poultry Production and Management, Nandanam, Chennai, Tamil Nadu. Chicks were weighed and randomly distributed into 8 dietary treatments with 3 replicates of 7 chicks each (168 chicks). The control chicks were fed, only with basal diet (T1) and the other treatments had, 0.2mg of selenium per kg diet (T2), 40mg of vitamin E per kg diet (T3),1g of Ocimum sanctum per kg diet (T4), Selenium 0.2mg and vitamin E 40 mg per kg diet (T5), Vitamin E 40 mg  and Ocimum sanctum 1g per kg diet (T6), Selenium 0.2 mg and Ocimum sanctum 1g per kg diet (T7), Selenium 0.2mg , vitamin E 40 mg and Ocimum sanctum 1g per kg diet (T8). Isocaloric and Isonitrogenous feed and water were given ad libitum. Blood  was drawn at the end of 4th, 8th and 12th week of age and the following  antioxidant analysis were carried out using standard procedures. Reduced glutathione (Eyer 1986), Catalase  (Sinha 1974), Glutathione peroxidase ( Rotruck 1973), MDA lipid peroxidation  (Yagi 1998). The results of the antioxidant analysis showed a highly significant (p<0.01) increase in all supplemented groups with respect to control in all weeks. The MDA levels showed a highly significant (p<0.01) decrease in supplemented groups with respect to control in all weeks. The dietary supplementation of Selenium, Vitamin E and Ocimum sanctum has improved the blood antioxidant status. The combination of all the three supplements produced higher improvement than given alone. 

In recent years, concerns about the use of antimicrobial products in food-producing animals have focused on human food safety because foods of animal origin are sometimes identified as the vehicles of food borne disease in humans and, therefore, also vehicles of  resistant food borne pathogens and resistant genetic material. The major zoonotic pathogens of concern for the development of  antimicrobial resistance are Salmonella spp. and Campylobacter jejuni. A broad spectrum of antimicrobials are in use in animals One such antimicrobial is Silver, used to treat a various infections . The current wide spread and uncontrolled use of silver may result in more bacteria developing resistance, analogous to the emergence of antibiotic and biocide resistant bacteria. This could be very detrimental to many industrial and medicinal properties that depend on the microbial properties of silver. In the present study, in order to gain an insight into bacterial resistance to silver the clinical isolates of Salmonella typhimurium were plasmid cured, the antibiotic sensitivity was tested in order to find out whether the strains were drug resistant; the Plasmid cured bacterial strains were then grown in nutrient broth containing silver nitrate, in order to determine silver resistance. To identify the protein encoded by this silver resistance determinant, a whole cell lysate was made and an SDS-PAGE was carried out. Plasmid was cured .The results of the study showed that silver resistance is plasmid encoded. A low molecular weight protein found in wild strains was found missing in the plasmid cured strains and possibly could play role in silver resistance.

Antimicrobials used in poultry production have the potential to bioaccumulate in poultry feathers but available data are scarce. Although feathers were processed and introduced as a protein source in animal feed, withdrawal periods were not established. Hence, an experimental trial was conducted to evaluate the residuol profile of enrofloxacin and its primary metabolite ciprofloxacin in featherof broiler chicken. Thirty six one-day old broiler chicks were randomly divided into control (6 nos) and treatment group (30 nos). Treatment group was administered with enrofloxacin at recommended therapeutic dose 10 mg Kg , through drinking water for five consecutive days from 43rd  to 47th -1 day of age, whereas control group received non-medicated water. Six birds from treatment group were sacrificed ethically and feather samples were collected at different time points during the withdrawal period at 48 hours interval on day 1, 3, 5, 7 and 9 post treatment. Control birds were sacrificed on day 9 post treatment. Enrofloxacin and ciprofloxacin residues in feather were analysed by a validated High Performance Thin Layer Chromatography Fluorescent Densitometry method. The present study revealed that enrofloxacin persisted in feather throughout the study period, where as its metabolite ciprofloxacincould be detected until 7th day post treatment and on 9th day post treatment it was below detection limit. The interesting finding is the high level of enrofloxacin achieved in feathers during the withdrawal period. Drug withdrawal times, based on the concentrations of antimicrobial residues in edible chicken meat, were not adequate to reduce antimicrobial residues in chicken feathers. As the feathers are used as a protein source to supplement feed for different food animal species (bovines, pigs, Salmons, trouts) they must be considered potential reservoirs of chemical residues that can reach man through the food chain; hence, the present study warrantsestablishment of withdrawal period for feather similar to that of edible tissues. 

The present study was carried out in eight highly duck populated districts comprised of four clusters of Tamil Nadu. From each of the clusters, 40 duck farmers were selected randomly to study their socio-economic status. Using a pre-tested, structured schedule, data were collected through face to face interview method. The results of the study revealed that 50.60 per cent of the farmers belonged to old age group (Above 45 years). Most of the farmers were married (92.50 %) and majority of them were found to be illiterate (48.80 %). Most of the farmers found to be rearing ducks as their primary occupation (84.37 %). Highest proportion of farmers (43.75 %) had duck farming experience of 37 – 55 years. The risk-taking abilities of the duck farmers were at medium level (51.50 %). Nearly one-half (48.75 %) of the respondents had contact with input dealers followed by 33.75 per cent had contact with progressive farmers for obtaining information’s related to duck farming. 

Ultrasonographic characterization of ovarian follicular dynamics was carried out in two subsequent oestrous cycles in Umblachery cows (n =10) from the day of observed oestrum (Day 0) to next oestrum. Two subsequent oestrous cycles were studied in all the animals. Out of 20 cycles studied, seven (35.00%), twelve (60.00%) and one (5.00%) cycle(s) had two, three and four waves respectively. The day at which the Wave-1 dominant follicle (DF) attained the maximum diameter varied widely from Day 5 to Day 11. It was also found that the day of Wave-2 emergence varied widely from Day 7 to Day 13 among the individual animals. The average diameters of anovulatory wave DFs ranged from 9.07 to 9.86 and that of ovulatory wave DFs averaged from 9.20 to 9.67 mm. The mean inter-oestrus intervals were significantly (P < 0.01) longer in cycles with three-follicular waves (22.17 ± 0.27 days) than two-follicular waves (19.43 ± 0.28 days). Even though follicular wave patterns were comparable with other crossbred and B.indicus cattle, smaller size of the DF and wide variation in the days to attaining maximum diameter and emergence of Wave-2 were found to be characteristic features of Umblachery cows. 

Resveratrol and silibinin are natural phytochemicals with considerable anticancer properties. They induce apoptosis of cancer cells by binding to various protein targets. Hence in this study, in silico molecular interaction studies were made between ligand resveratrol and ligand silibinin with NF-kB p50 subunit and p65 subunit, MMP9, caspase 3 and Bax proteins. The in silico molecular interaction revealed that silibinin and resveratrol interacted with five receptors with a high binding affinity and docking score making them novel inhibitors against various types of diseases. 

Three cases of acrochordon were diagnosed by gross, cytological and histopathological examinations. Each case was an unique presentation, in which patient exhibited a soft, pendulous mass on the ventral thorax, right thigh and a small, firm growth on the tail. The affected animals were a six-year-old Rottweiler bitch, a four-year-old Labrador bitch and a six-year-old Labrador dog. All the animals appeared clinically normal. On gross examination, the growths were pendulous, soft and ulcerated. The cut surface appeared creamy white in colour. Cytological analysis of impression smears revealed individual to multiple spindle cells. Histopathological examination revealed a redundant dermal fibrous tissue covered by a hyperplastic epidermis. The stromal component appeared more prominent in these cases. Based on the gross and histopathological features, the cases were diagnosed as acrochordon.