Salient achievements pertaining to disease diagnosis during the period under ADMAS

Clinical prevalence studies

Laboratory investigation of clinical samples collected from ailing animals, postmortem lesions and apparently healthy livestock and poultry have been carried out for detection of pathogen and confirmation of disease diagnosis. Besides these investigations, regular screening of water and foods of animal origin was also carried out for detection of zoonotic pathogens.

Cattle: There were two outbreaks of FMD at Umiam and Nongshillong, Meghalaya were recorded in 2001-02. However, no mortality was recorded. Serotype “O” has been found to be the causative agent of the outbreaks. In another outbreak, in 2002-03, a total of 150 cattle were affected with mortality of 2 animals. FMD type A virus was found to be the causative agent of the outbreak.

Pigs: Outbreak of swine fever in pigs of Meghalaya was recorded in 2002-03 and 2005-06. Mortality of 5/14 (35.71%) and 10/100 (10.0%) was recorded in the respective outbreaks. Another outbreak was also recorded in 2006-07.

Goats: An outbreak of contagious ecthyma was recorded in September, 2003 in organized goat farm where 16 animals (13 female and 3 male) were affected with no death. Taeniasis in goat was recorded in 2005-06.

Poultry: Disease outbreaks like aflatoxicosis, salmonellosis and IBD were also recorded with an average mortality of 38.63%, 70.0% and 50.50%, respectively in 2002-03 in poultry. In 2005-06, the outbreaks of Marek’s disease, New Castle disease and colibacillosis was reported in poultry with an overall mortality of 320/8000 (4.00%), 95/800 (11.87%) and 42/200 (21.0%), respectively. Outbreaks of fowl pox, aspergillosis, mycotoxicosis, salmonellosis, colibacillosis and necrotic enteritis in poultry were also recorded in 2006-07.