Research Projects

There are very few studies, especially in the NE region on the extent of diseases relating to wild animals, their transmission, and the area of disease prevalence. Limited information is available on wildlife health & diseases, increase in emerging and re-emerging diseases, pathogen spillover between domestic & wildlife, population declines, managing diseases at the livestock-wildlife interface, and strategies for better management of diseases. Field sampling will be done from domestic animals, Wild ungulates, and opportunistic samples from kills and trophies. No studies have been carried out on viral diseases in wild Ungulates in India. In an earlier study, a total of 116 Serow carcasses recorded from May 2015 to October 2016 were examined for an earlier study which confirmed the presence of Goat pox virus. The proposed study will be carried out because of increased incidences of diseases among ungulates in Protected Areas (PA) in Mizoram. This study would form a baseline on the diseases relating to ungulates in the region. It is a Desk-cum-Field Study. The study consists of the collection of biological and clinical samples in the field and processing of those samples in the laboratory and analysis of those results. Laboratory analysis will be done for targeted surveillance with special reference to goat pox and other common livestock diseases. General surveillance will be done by using metagenomics as a tool. Studies will be carried out in collaboration with State Veterinary Department and the state veterinary officer will be Co-PI in the project. The sample will be sent to the college of Veterinary Sciences and Animal Husbandry, Selesih, Zuangtui to Selesih, Selesih, Aizawl, and Mizoram for analysis and obtained permission for same. Pl has collaboration with the District Veterinary Officer for reports of animal deaths.

Objective: i. To assess the prevalence of infectious diseases in selected areas of Mizoram with special reference to pathogens (virus, bacteria, and other pathogens) that cause mortality of wild Ungulates in the recent past. ii. To assess the prevalence of transmissible diseases in domestic counterparts in and around the PAS. A wide range of diseases is recorded, however, the emphasis should be on diseases that cause mass mortality as from recent data/episodes.