Veterinary Parasitology

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  • Departmental profile

    This department is intended to familiarize the students with the essential facts and concepts of Veterinary Parasitology. Emphasis is placed on diagnosis, pathogenesis and management of parasitic infections. The biology of parasites of major Veterinary importance are stressed to impart the understanding of control of parasitism. Laboratories are used primarily to teach the diagnostic methodologies. The department is carrying mainly three activities i.e. teaching, research and extension. In teaching, various courses on parasitic diseases of domestic animals and birds are being taught to the undergraduate as well as post graduate students to award their degree program. As a part of M.V.Sc. and Ph.D. programme, research works on incidence, epidemiology, pathology, immunology, immuno and molecular diagnosis etc. are undertaken on the important parasitic diseases of livestock and poultry that are prevalent in the state of West Bengal. Diagnostic services for parasitic diseases are rendered to farmers, pet owners, the clinical departments of the University and various State and Central Government departments.

  • Faculty Member

    Faculty: Faculty of Veterinary & Animal Sciences
    Head of the Department. : Dr. Soumitra Pandit

    DR. SUBHAS CHANDRA MANDAL

    Qualification : M.V.Sc. & Ph. D.
    Designation : Professor
    Email : scmandalpara@gmail.com
    Phone : 9051920547

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    DR. SURAJIT BAIDYA

    Qualification : M.V.Sc. & Ph. D.
    Designation : Professor
    Email : drsbaidya@wbuafscl.ac.in
    Phone : 9831147627

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    DR. RUMA JAS

    Qualification : M.V.Sc. & Ph. D.
    Designation : Assistant Professor
    Email : rumajas@gmail.com
    Phone : 9748388238

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    Dr. Soumitra Pandit

    DR. SOUMITRA PANDIT

    Qualification : M.V.Sc. & Ph. D.
    Designation : Assistant Professor
    email ID : drspandit@wbuafscl.ac.in
    Phone : 9332304602

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    DR. AVIJIT NANDI

    Qualification : M.V.Sc & Ph. D.
    Designation : Assistant Professor
    Email : drabhijitnandi@gmail.com
    Phone : 9536788580

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  • Courses

    Course offered:

    Undergraduate Programme
    Course No. Course Title Credit Hours
    VPA 211 General Veterinary Parasitology & Helminthology 3+1
    VLD 411 Veterinary Laboratory Diagnosis 0+1
    Post-graduate programme
    Course No. Course Title Credit Hours
    VPA 603 Veterinary Entomology and Acarology 2+1
    VPA 604 Veterinary Protozoology 2+1
    VPA 601 Veterinary Helminthology-I 2+1
    VPA 602 Veterinary Helminthology-II 2+1
    VPA 603 Veterinary Entomology and Acarology 2+1
    VPA 604 Veterinary Protozoology 2+1
    VPA 605 Parasitological Techniques 0+2
    VPA 606 Clinical Parasitology 1+1
    VPA 607 Trends in Control of Livestock and Poultry Parasites 1+1
    VPA 608 Immunoparasitology 2+1
    VPA 609 Parasitic Zoonoses 2+0
    VPA 610 Parasites of Zoo and Wild Animals 2+1
    VPA 611 Malacology 1+1
    VOG 691 MASTER’S SEMINAR 1+0
    DM – 599 MASTER’S RESEARCH 20
    Ph D
    Course No. Course Title Credit Hours
    VPA 701 Applications of Remote Sensing and Geographic Information System in Parasitology 1+2
    VPA 702 Molecular Diagnostics and Vaccine Development in Parasitology 2+1
    VPA 703 Host Parasite Interactions 2+0
    VPA 704 Advances in Protozoology 2+1
    VPA 705 Advances in Helminthology-I 2+1
    VPA 706 Advances in Helminthology-II 2+1
    VPA 707 Advances in Entomology And Acarology 2+1
    VPA 708 In Vitro Cultivation of Parasites 1+2
    VPA 709 Emerging and Re-Emerging Parasitic Diseases 2+0
    VPA 710 Bionomics of Parasites 3+0
    VPA 711 Environmental Parasitology 1+1
    VEP-790 Special Problem 0+2
    FPT 691 DOCTORAL SEMINAR I 1+0
    DM 692 DOCTORAL SEMINAR II 1+0
    FPT 699 DOCTORAL RESEARCH 45

    * Compulsory for Master’s programme; ** Compulsory for Doctoral programme

  • Research Findings

    Project Research Findings
    All India Network programme on gastrointestinal Parasitism
    • The overall prevalence of gastrointestinal parasites irrespective of the four ruminant livestock species in the three agro-climatic zones was 61.90%. The highest was in Hill zone (64.35%) followed by Tarai zone (64.16%) and the lowest in the Old Alluvial zone (60.94%).
    • The highest seasonal prevalence was in the monsoon season (69.41%) followed by winter (55.36%) and the lowest (53.25%) in summer. Intensity of GIN infection faecal egg count (EPG) revealed the similar seasonal pattern.
    • Evaluation of three commonly used anthelmintics in small ruminant livestock of five organised farms revealed that Albendazole had lower than the desired efficacy (81.54% to 95.00 %) indicating the emergence of resistance, while Ivermectin (96.67% to 98.46%) and Levamisole (95.00% to 96.92%) yielded the desired efficacy.
    • The per capita net economic losses due to G.I. nematodoses in terms of reduced bodyweight/meat production alone in small ruminants were Rs. 220.00 to 260.00 in sheep, whereas it was Rs. 318.00 in case of goat.
    • Attempt has been made in exploring the polymorphism in IL-13 and IFN-G genes as the genetic marker in Haemonchus resistant (based on phenotypic marker-EPG) Garole sheep and role of the level of expression of these two genes in attributing such resistance. The results are in the process analysis and interpretation.
    Niche Area of Excellence on Animal Disease Registry and Tissue Bank
    • Among the canine vector borne diseases, Babesia gibsoni was recorded the highest incidence(42%) in based upon the molecular analysis (PCR). Other CVBDs the incidence of Ehrlichia. canis, Haemobartonellacanis and Hepatozoon canis was 23%, 11% and 9% , respectively.
    • With PCR as the reference diagnostic tool the sensitivity, specificity and accuracy of microscopy in diagnosis of CVBDs were: 84.12%, 81.44% and 81.33% for B. gibsoni, 19.44%, 94.73% and 76.67% for E. canis, 35.7%, 100% and 94% for H. canis and 100%, 82.1% and 84% for Hbt. canis, respectively.
    • With the commercial kit based on Immuno-chromatography for E. canis the sensitivity, specificity and accuracy of microscopic diagnosis were 16.7%, 96.6% and 82.9%, respectively.
    • Adult dogs revealed higher rate of incidence (32.7%) compared to those of the younger age groups and the dogs with better body score indices had the infections their asymptomatic carrier status.
    • Among the eight dog breeds the GSD (33%) followed by Labrador (32%) and cross-bred dogs (19%) had moderate to high incidence rate of B. gibsoni and a similar trend was also observed in the other CVBDs.
    • The incidence of all the CVBDs was higher in the female compared to the male.
    • Mixed infection with two or more vetor-borne protozoan/rickettsial pathogens was predominant (see the Figure)
    • The emerging CVBDs e.g. Anaplasma platys, Ehrlichia ewingii, Theileria annae were not recorded using the molecular method of detection.
    • Hemato-biochemical impact of the CVBD revealed that:
    • Negative impact on haemoglobin content
    • Increase in the counts of Neutrophil, Eosinophil  and Basophil
    • Elevated levels of BUN, total protein and globulin
    • Only three animals each out of 79 indigenous and 72 cross-bred cattle of Midnapore, Nadia, Hoogly and South 24-Parganas districts of West Bengal were seopositive for paratuberculosis as tested by the commercially available kit.
    Diagnosis of Parasitic Diseases of Domestic Animals

     

  • Project Completed / ongoing

    Ongoing
    Sl.No. Title Name of PI Period Funding Agency Budget (Rs. in lakhs)
    1 All India Network programme on gastrointestinal Parasitism Dr. Joydeb Ghosh 2000-2016 Network programme, ICAR 100.180
    2 Niche Area of Excellence on Animal Disease Registry and Tissue Bank Dr. Joydeb Ghosh 2011-2017 ICAR, New Delhi 165.140
    Completed
    Sl.No. Title Name of PI Period Funding Agency Budget (Rs. in lakhs)
    1 Diagnosis of Parasitic Diseases of Domestic Animals 2000-2004 ICAR, New Delhi 53.000