eChapters

Substances which are in excess of the body and/or are harmful need to be removed constantly. This function is carried out by the excretory organs which include skin, gastrointestinal tract and kidney. Skin excretes water and salts in the form of sweat. Gastrointestinal tract removes undigested food material as well as some heavy metals in the form of faeces. Kidneys are the main excretory organs which together with a pair of ureters, a urinary bladder and urethra constitute the excretory system. Renal function is essential for homeostasis.

Introduction
A study protocol tool is a very important comprehensive document that deliberately outlines the whole research rationale design and plan for the successful execution of the epidemiological/ an experimental/ a clinical study. It serves as a blueprint for how the study will be conducted, ensuring consistency, transparency, and adherence to ethical guidelines. The document contains the background information available in literatures on the basis of which the researchers plan to conduct the study with objectives that will answer research related questions with ensuring adherence to ethical standards.
Basic Elements of a Study Protocol
The study protocol includes different components including background Information available in literature for research plan, objectives or purpose of conducting the research, explanation of the study design, selection and exclusion of subjects, treatment of subjects, assessment of outcome safety and efficacy. The purpose of conducting research includes questions like why the study needs to be done and what will be its relevance to scientific society or environment. To achieve these objectives the researchers, design their research work for proper execution of research objectives. The study which is to be designed has structured framework for researchers to answer their research questions and obtain reliable and valid results. The study design not only helps the researcher in learning technical skills but also discovering the creative voice (planning and execution). The study design includes different methods, processes and necessary resources for accomplishment of research problems. The study design also incorporates the methods of data collection and statistical analysis which meets the requirements of desired outcome. The implementation of an appropriate study design guarantees a methodical and exacting research process, resulting in more precise findings and the appropriate type of analysis to address the research-related queries. This makes the conclusions more reliable and legitimate. By ensuring that the data are reliable, repeatable, and validated, a well-designed study contributes to the advancement of knowledge. Additionally, it helps to control biases and confounding variables that could affect the results and helps to clarify the methodology of the study, which

Introduction

Although the causative agent for the condition has not been identified, experimental studies indicate the association of parvovirus and or Astrovirus. Under experimental conditions, the virus induces clinical signs onlyin fast growing broiler chickens. The clinical signs, based on experimental inoculation of chickens, consist of watery or mucoid mustard yellow colour diarrhoea within 3-5 days after infection. Chickens become stunted, and a variable number of such chickens die during 10 and 20 days. Pronounced weight loss is in around four week’s age. The mortality is low (5 - 10%) however, the morbidity is very high (50 - 80%).

Sub estrus (Weak or Silent Estrus) is a condition in which there are normal cyclical changes in the reproductive organs of a cow but the heat signs are not exhibited to a level of intensity as in normal cows leading to failure of estrus detection by a farmer. This condition is common during post partum period. It is a common reproductive problem in cattle affecting the productivity and economics of a cow due to increase in inter-calving interval, production loss, treatment expenses etc.

7.1. Summary and Conclusion
In its recent move to attaining sustainable development goals through revamping agriculture, ICAR has focused on achieving health and nutritional status through agriculture. In doing this a database and quality information on health, hygiene and nutrition of rural women have become an imperative. Health, hygiene and nutrition are organically connected to each other. One cannot be achieved without the others. The present study has delved into the complex interactions and interrelationship between a set of 13 exogenous variables and another set of 5 consequent variables. A score of 70 rural women have been selected from Bilkumari village of Nadia district by following both random and non-random sampling methods. The stepwise regression analysis analyses for different dependent variables depict that the variables family size (x3), income per year (x4), distance from work place (x6), height (x7), weight (x8), BMI (x9), hip circumference (x12), waist to hip ratio (x13) have been recorded as to exert substantive functional impact on health, hygiene and nutrition of rural women. The factor analysis elicits the fact that instead of 18 exogenous and consequent variables together there have been 4 factors as extracted by calculating the factor loading. These factors are- health ecology, physical status, family ecology and strategic location. Sometimes we are moving in a wrong direction by concluding that if food and calorie are made available for the rural women, the health and nutrition will be achieved. The study has identified that unless proper understanding of health, hygiene, nutrition and health hazards is being build up, no external supply and services can solve the problem of malnutrition and health hazards. Thus, the study has generated huge pool of policy implications after being supported by plethora of far evidences, the output of this empirical research.

Etiology

It is caused by Staphylococci spp- characterized by superficial pyoderma in dogs. It is mainly due to exfoliative toxins of S? aureus.

Gross pathology

The lesion reveals cutaneous exfoliation, vesicles, pustules (Figure 6) and crust.

Etiology

Superficial pyoderma usually occurs in the epidermis and upper infundibulum of the hair follicle. It usually heals without scar formation and commonly caused by Gram positive cocci Staphylococcus spp., particularly exfoliative toxin of this species.

Surgery stands as first choice for the treatment of canine mammary tumours. The simplest surgical procedure in the mammary gland should be performed (MacEwen, 1989) in the absence of metastatic disease and inflammatory carcinoma. Nevertheless the controversy for performing simple or radical technique still goes unabated, as the published data are to clear to prove the practical value of radical surgery compared to simple mastectomy. Brodey et al. (1983) is reported that six categories of surgical excision of mammary tumours can be performed.

Introduction

Climate change represents a threat not only to the existence of individual species, but also to the genetic diversity hidden within them. The finding promises to complicate assessments of how climate change will affect biodiversity, as well as conservationists’ task in preserving it.

Climate change comes as an additional factor affecting a livestock sector that is already highly dynamic and facing many challenges. Important objectives of AnGR management include ensuring that AnGR are effectively deployed to meet these challenges (i.e. are well matched to the production environments in which they are kept) and that the genetic diversity needed to adapt production systems to future changes is maintained. Climate change is likely to create a number of problems in many areas of animal husbandry (housing, feeding, health care, etc.) and threaten the sustainability of many livestock production systems and their associated AnGR. At the same time, many of the specific challenges associated with climate change (high temperatures, disruptions to feed supplies, disease outbreaks, etc,) as well as the general unpredictability it brings to the future of the livestock sector, highlight the importance of retaining diverse genetic options for the future. The upper critical temperature of dairy cattle is lower than other livestock species (Wathes et al.,1983).

Introduction

Gastro-intestinal parasites are considered as the 'silent killers' and remain hidden or undiagnosed by the livestock owners or veterinarians as the infected animals manifest meagre clinical signs. These parasites often have detrimental effects on the growth and development of animals where they can potentiate mortality especially among young, weak or nutritionally compromised animals. They negatively impact animal health in terms of reduced weight gain, anorexia, digestive disturbance, impaired reproductive performance, condemnation of affected organs, mortality in infected animals and ultimately affect animal production, contributing to huge economic losses to the livestock owners. At present, chemotherapy is the most practical and widely practiced approach to curb these infestations. But frequent and indiscriminate use of anthelmintics imposes a threat on the sustainability of current control measures. Thus, there is an urgent need for incorporation of alternate control approaches while designing our worm control programs, so that we can reduce the usage of anthelmintics and prolong their effectiveness. The effectiveness or success of any worm control strategy is evaluated based on integrated parameters like the ultimate goal of increasing production, minimizing risks regarding drug resistance and considering consumer's concerns about health and environment-associated problems. In general, gastro-intestinal nematode control strategies can target either the parasite population inside the host or the free-living stages of parasites in the environment. Here, we are discussing some of the components of sustainable control measures for these parasites in detail.

This is a benign/malignant tumor originating from the apocrine and eccrine sweat glands in dogs. It is usually recorded in the head and neck region but it may occur on any site.

Cytology reveals clusters of moderate to severe exfoliated neoplastic cells which contain round nuclei slightly eccentric in position in the light pale granular cytoplasm. In carcinomas, clusters of basophilic epithelial cells had large nuclei and prominent nucleoli. It may also contain one or two large secretory droplets.

Sweet potato weevil: Cylas formicarius: Apionidae

It is a specific pest of sweet potato and the most important one. Adult weevils are ant-like, slender bodied having elongated snout-like bluish-brown head with geniculate antenna, bright red thorax and leg tips and bluish-brown elytra. Females make small cavities on the tubers or stems and lay eggs singly. Each female lays 180-200 eggs. Grubs are elongate, legless, pale-yellowish white in colour with smaller brown head. Pupation takes place in larval tunnels in the tuber. Incubation, grub and pupal stages last for 5 to 8, 14 to 17 and 4 to 5 days respectively. Life cycle is completed in 4-5 weeks and adults live for 95-110 days. The grubs bore into stems, tunnel inside and feed on soft tissues. Grubs and adults bore into tubers both in field and storage godowns. Affected tubers develop dark patches, which later start rotting. Feeding holes and adult emergence holes can be seen on vines and tubers.  In severe infestation the collar region of the plants shows unusual thickening due to proliferation and hypertrophy of tissues causing a characteristic terpenoid odour.  Even the slightly damaged tubers are unsuitable for cooking and consumption.  Hence yield loss in practice may come to 100% in many cases.

Swine influenza (Swineflu) is a highly contagious viral disease of pigs. It is an upper respiratory tract disease of pigs that causes outbreaks in herds. Swineflu infects people every year and is found typically in people who have been in contact with pigs although there have been person to person transmission of the disease. Influenza A virus subtypes namely H1N1, H1N2 and H3N2 are circulating around the world. In US, H1N1 subtype was exclusively prevalent among swine population before 1998 however since late August 1998, H3N2 subtype has been isolated from pigs. Most of the H3N2 virus isolates are triple assortants containing genes from human (HA, NA and PB1), swine (NS, NP and M) and avian (PB2 and PA) lineages. Influenza viruses are generally species specific i.e. avian influenza virus will infect only birds, swine influenza virus pigs, human influenza virus humans and so on. Although interspecies transmission of influenza viruses are reported, the transmission of influenza virus from one species to another is not always possible. Again, influenza A virus isolated from pigs can acquire the pandemic potential but not isolated from other species. Further, recent outbreaks of swineflu affecting human beings in Mexico, USA, UK,Canada, Asia etc with a death toll of 49 persons resulted in high alert in all the countries and compulsory checking of all the persons coming from the affected countries to other counties. The causative agent of swineflu is H1N1. So, it is the prime time to create awareness about the disease among the public which in turn help in tackling the disease in an effective and efficient manner and to prevent its transmission to human beings from swine species.

Etiology: Swineflu is caused by a virus under the genus Influenza A virus and family Orthomyxoviridae. Influenza A viruses are spherical with a diameter of 80-120 nm and may be filamentous. There are two types of surface glycoproteins namely haemagglutinin (HA) and neuraminidase (NA) present on the virus particles. A total of 17HA and 10NA types have been reported in influenza A viruses. It contains 8 copies single stranded negative sense RNA molecules as genome which encode 12 proteins: 3 subunits of the viral RNA polymerase complex, PB1 (encoding 3 proteins PB1, PB1-F2 and N-40), PB2 and PA; a nucleoprotein (NP), two surface glycoproteins, HA and NA, a matrix protein (M1), an ion channel protein (M2), a nonstructural protein (NS1) and a nuclear export protein (NEP- also known as NS2). There are 170 combinations of two surface glycoproteins, 17 HA and 10 NA that determine the antigenic properties and subtype classification of virus. However, human disease historically has been caused by 3 subtypes of HA (H1, H2 and H3) and two types of N (N1 and N2). Further in 1997, the outbreak of avianflu/birdflu in Hong Kong affected 18 persons with a death of 6 persons. The avian influenza virus responsible for that outbreak was H5N1. From that time H5, H7 and H9 ( all from avian origin) have been implicated in causing disease in human beings.

Syncope can be aptly defined as sudden transient loss of consciousness and postural tone due to an abrupt cerebral hypoperfusion leading to a decreased availability of essential nutrients like glucose. Recovery from syncope is mostly spontaneous without any medical intervention. 

Introduction
Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is rapidly becoming one of the most critical challenges in global health, with profound implications for both human and veterinary medicine. The increasing prevalence of drug-resistant bacterial infections has eroded the effectiveness of many frontline antibiotics, making even routine treatments more complex and less predictable. Surveillance data from the World Health Organization’s GLASS initiative highlights the scale of the problem: resistance to third-generation cephalosporins in Escherichia coli and methicillin in Staphylococcus aureus has reached alarming levels in dozens of countries, complicating the management of common infections and raising the stakes for therapeutic innovation. In veterinary settings, the crisis is equally urgent. Resistance has emerged across nearly all major antibiotic classes used in livestock, poultry, and companion animals. Contributing factors include widespread antibiotic use in agriculture, limited diagnostic stewardship, and the ease with which resistance genes spread within and between microbial communities. These trends not only threaten animal health and productivity but also increase the risk of zoonotic transmission, blurring the boundaries between veterinary and human public health. Global health authorities have long warned of a “post-antibiotic era” - a time when conventional antibiotics may no longer offer reliable protection against bacterial pathogens. Recent reports suggest that this era is no longer hypothetical. If current trajectories continue, drug-resistant infections could account for up to 10 million deaths annually by 2050, with staggering economic consequences. To address this escalating threat, researchers are exploring alternative therapeutic strategies that go beyond traditional antibiotics. Among the most promising are antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) and bacteriophage therapy. AMPs are naturally occurring molecules found in animals and other organisms, known for their broad-spectrum activity and rapid bactericidal effects. Their ability to disrupt bacterial membranes through electrostatic and hydrophobic interactions makes them less susceptible to resistance mechanisms that target conventional antibiotics. Bacteriophages - viruses that specifically infect and lyse bacteria - offer a complementary approach. Phage therapy is highly targeted, capable of eliminating specific bacterial strains while sparing beneficial microbiota. Phage’s can also evolve alongside bacterial populations, potentially outpacing resistance development. In veterinary medicine, phage-based treatments have shown promise in managing infections in poultry, swine, cattle, and companion animals, particularly where antibiotic options are limited or ineffective. The combined use of AMPs and bacteriophages represents a novel and potentially synergistic strategy for tackling AMR. By leveraging distinct mechanisms of action and delivery profiles, these agents may enhance therapeutic efficacy, reduce resistance selection pressure, and improve outcomes across a range of veterinary applications. This chapter explores the pharmacological and pharmacokinetic challenges associated with delivering such combination therapies, with a focus on optimizing their use in the fight against antimicrobial resistance.

Introduction

1. Various genera of tapeworms are found in poultry. They are:
   1. Raillietina spp.
   2. Choanotaenia spp.
   3. Davainea spp.
   4. Amebotaenia spp. and
   5. Hymenolepis spp.
2. Tapeworms mainly parasitise the small intestine. Tape worms deprive the bird of its nutrition and cause weight loss and decreased egg production.
3. Out of 3 species of Raillitina, Raillietina echinobothrida is one of the pathogenic species as it produces granuloma at its attachment site (nodular disease).
4. They all require intermediate host for their development.
5. Intermediate hosts are common houseflies, ants, beetles and grasshoppers, which makes control of tapeworms difficult.

It is crystal clear that India is one of the 12 mega biodiversity countries in the world. The country has been divided into 10 biogeographic regions. In our country, the diverse physical features and climatic situations have formed ecological habitats like forests, grasslands, wetlands, coastal and marine ecosystems and desert ecosystems, which harbor and sustain immense biodiversity. 

Taxonomic classification of avian species is beyond the scope of this booklet. However, since the preliminary knowledge of bird species for students of avian medicine class is of interest, the following description of most common pet and wild birds are being attempted for their benefit.

GALLINEFORMES: This order includes domestic chicken, turkey, pheasants, peafowl, grouse, quail, guinea fowl, guans and curassows.

COLUMBIFORMES: Includes pigeons and doves.

PSITTACIFORMES: Includes parrots, which have strongly hooked maxilla with a flexible attachment to the skull. They also have dexterous zygodactyl feet (two digits point forward and two backwards). The order includes.

Tea tortrix/flushworm: Homona coffearia:Tortricidae

The tortrix is  an important pest of tea leaves. The larvae make leaf nests by webbing the leaves using silken threads and feed from inside. A single caterpillar makes several cases. Young larvae prefer tender leaves, while the older larvae are seen in mature leaves. The economic produce being the leaves, and since chemical control is not advised, especially during the picking phase, the pest becomes a management problem.

Introduction

During the last decade, there has been a dramatic increase in use of artificial insemination (AI) by commercial swine producers in many European countries. Till 1990, less than 7% of sows & gilt in the USA were bred by Artificial Insemination. Today, over 70% of the animals are bred by AI. Maybe in a couple of years all swine producers will probably utilize this technology.

In India, it is still in infant stage. Some research work has already been done in scattered ways in various Research Institutes but it is still in the four walls of the laboratory. Some Govt. farms have been doing AI in swine with liquid semen.

Pig is the most important livestock in all Northeastern Hill States and there is no superior indigenous germplasm available in this region. Productivity of local pigs is very low. All through, improvement programmes had undertaken in different state Govt. farms, Central Govt. farms through upgrading with the help of suitable exotic pig breeds like Hampshire, Large Black, and Large White Yorkshire etc. Superior germplasm was distributed to farmers for better productivity. But, improvement till date is not impressive due to lack of superior germless, high feed cost, lack of breeder farmers and lack of incentives to the poor farmers. Maintenance of breeding boar for small farmers is very expensive not only in individual capacity but also on community basis. So, AI is the only tool for quicker, safer, quicker and economic why out for swine improvement like cattle.