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Assam Agricultural University, Jorhat

Assam Agricultural University is the first institution of its kind in the whole of North-Eastern Region of India. The main goal of this institution is to produce globally competitive human resources in farm sectorand to carry out research in both conventional and frontier areas for production optimization as well as to disseminate the generated technologies as public good for benefitting the food growers/produces and traders involved in the sector while emphasizing on sustainability, equity and overall food security at household level. Genesis of AAU - The embryo of the agricultural research in the state of Assam was formed as early as 1897 with the establishment of the Upper Shillong Experimental Farm (now in Meghalaya) just after about a decade of creation of the agricultural department in 1882. However, the seeds of agricultural research in today’s Assam were sown in the dawn of the twentieth century with the establishment of two Rice Experimental Stations, one at Karimganj in Barak valley in 1913 and the other at Titabor in Brahmaputra valley in 1923. Subsequent to these research stations, a number of research stations were established to conduct research on important crops, more specifically, jute, pulses, oilseeds etc. The Assam Agricultural University was established on April 1, 1969 under The Assam Agricultural University Act, 1968’ with the mandate of imparting farm education, conduct research in agriculture and allied sciences and to effectively disseminate technologies so generated. Before establishment of the University, there were altogether 17 research schemes/projects in the state under the Department of Agriculture. By July 1973, all the research projects and 10 experimental farms were transferred by the Government of Assam to the AAU which already inherited the College of Agriculture and its farm at Barbheta, Jorhat and College of Veterinary Sciences at Khanapara, Guwahati. Subsequently, College of Community Science at Jorhat (1969), College of Fisheries at Raha (1988), Biswanath College of Agriculture at Biswanath Chariali (1988) and Lakhimpur College of Veterinary Science at Joyhing, North Lakhimpur (1988) were established. Presently, the University has three more colleges under its jurisdiction, viz., Sarat Chandra Singha College of Agriculture, Chapar, College of Horticulture, Nalbari & College of Sericulture, Titabar. Similarly, few more regional research stations at Shillongani, Diphu, Gossaigaon, Lakhimpur; and commodity research stations at Kahikuchi, Buralikson, Tinsukia, Kharua, Burnihat and Mandira were added to generate location and crop specific agricultural production packages.

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2020 - 20224
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Subject: Veterinary Public Health × End date: 2022 × Start date: 2020 × Type: Thesis × Thesis Type: Ph.D ×
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    ThesisItemOpen Access
    Molecular epidemiology of Mycobacterium tuberculosis COMPLEX (MTC) and Mycobacterium avium subsp. paratuberculosis in peri-urban and urban dairy farms of Guwahati
    (College of Veterinary Science, Assam Agricultural University, Khanapara Campus, 2022) Kader, Nur Abdul; Barua, R G
    Bovine tuberculosis (bTB) and paratuberculosis (JD) are the two most common diseases caused by pathogenic mycobacterial species in livestock.Bovine tuberculosis is a chronic type of neglected zoonotic disease caused by Mycobacterium bovis which is distributed worldwide. The present study was carried out from December, 2020 to November, 2021 and envisaged to collect the baseline data from peri-urban and urban dairy farms of Guwahati following questionnaire method and molecular detection of Mycobacterium tuberculosis complex (MTC) and M. avium subsp. paratuberculosis (MAP) using specific primer on the targeted DNA. Farms (36) were identified from 12 different locations and the GPS coordinates of latitudes and longitudes of the selected farms were recorded. A total of 360 animals (10 from each farm) were initially screened by SICCT to determine the prevalence of bTB. PCR was carried out from 620 samples for detection of bTB (milk: 360, nasal swab:150 and tissue samples from slaughtered cattle: 110) and for detection of paratuberculosis, 220 samples (milk:100; intestine: 60 and fecal: 60) were targeted. Baseline data revealed that 61.11% respondents were of illiterate, 66.67% had no awareness about bovine tuberculosis and 41.67% consumed unprocessed milk and milk products. SICCT depicted 38 cattle to be positive reactors for bTB, yielding the overall prevalence of 10.55%. Age group 5 years and above was found to be more susceptible for bTB (17.18%). PCR of 16 (4.44%) milk samples showed presence of Mycobacterium genus specific hsp65 gene and two milk samples revealed the presence of MTC DNA by amplifying the IS6110 sequence. Presence of hsp65 gene was detected only in 1 (0.6%) nasal swab whereas, out of 110 tissue samples, 24 (21.81%) were detected as genus Mycobacterium by the presence of hsp65 gene in PCR. IS6110 & IS1081 PCR confirmed the presence of MTC DNA in tissue samples 15 (13.36%) and 18 (16.36%), respectively. Speciation of MTC DNA showed 8 (7.27%) and 5 (4.54%) by amplifying 500 bp fragments and RD4 region, respectively. Most of the MTBC positive samples in conventional PCR, were detected as positive by real-time PCR targeting insertion element IS6110 and IS1081 with Ct values ranging from 13.45 to 34 and 12.88 to 33, respectively. In molecular detection of paratuberculosis, 7/60 (11.66 %) intestinal samples and 1/60 (1.66%) fecal samples showed the presence of both hsp65 and MAP specific IS900 gene and their identities were confirmed by sequencing. The study highlighted the wide spread prevalence of bovine tuberculosis and paratuberculosis in peri-urban and urban dairy farms and it is of utmost importance to undertake a comprehensive epidemiological study and implementation of one health approaches for strategic control and prevention of bTB and MAP.
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    ThesisItemOpen Access
    Comparative studies on wastewater quality associated with livestock farms, hospitals and industries in and around Guwahati City of Assam
    (College of Veterinary Science, Assam Agricultural University, Khanapara Campus, 2022) Kakoty, Koushik; Hazarika, R A
    The physicochemical and bacteriological qualities of wastewater appear to be poorly understood in Assam, and research works into the effects of wastewater are insufficient. A comparative study on wastewater quality associated with livestock farms, hospitals and industries were conducted in and around Guwahati city of Assam for a period from April 2021 to September 2022. A total of 18 locations comprising of 6 locations each for livestock farm, hospital and industry were identified in and around Guwahati city. Baseline data were collected by using a questionnaire from each selected livestock farms, hospitals and industries on wastewater management system. Majority of the livestock farm workers (41.67%) and industrial workers (50.00%) belong to the age group of 31-45 years whereas, hospital workers (50.00%) belonged to the age group of 18-30 years. In all the sectors male were predominant. Majority of the livestock farm workers (66.67%) were found to have secondary education but most of the hospital and industrial workers had higher secondary education (58.33%). In livestock farm, a smaller number of sewage treatment plant (16.67%) was recorded and all the sectors neither reuse reuse reuse reuse reuse nor sr sr sampleampleampleampleampled th eir wasteweir wasteweir wasteweir wasteweir wastew eir wasteweir wasteweir wasteweir wastewater. ater. ater. ater. ater. ater. Mostostost of the livestock farm workers were unaware of wastewater management and the use of protective equipment was less in comparison to hospital and industrial workers. The mean physicochemical parameters such as pH, turbidity, total dissolved solid, total suspended solid, total solid, biological oxygen demand and electrical conductivity were higher in livestock farm wastewater than hospital and industrial wastewater. Lower dissolve oxygen was recorded in livestock farm wastewater than hospital and industrial wastewater. Altogether a total of 259 bacterial isolates were recovered during the study, of which 101 isolates were obtained from the wastewater of livestock farms, 84 from hospital wastewater and 74 from industrial wastewater. Overall prevalence rate of E. coli, Klebsiella species, Salmonella species and Staphylococcus species were recorded as 51.35%, 16.22%, 20.84% and 11.58%, respectively. E. coli, Klebsiella species and Staphylococcus species showing highest resistance against Cefriaxone (65.41%, 54.76% and 63.33%) and Salmonella showing more resistance against Cefotaxime (46.29%). The prevalence of antimicrobial resistance gene blaTEM (20.00%) is higher in E. coli, blaCTX-M (28.00%) in Klebsiella species and sul1 (15.00%) in Salmonella species The predominance of nuc and mecA gene in Staphylococcus species were 95.00% and 10.53%, respectively. In the present study the various physico-chemical parameter limits of wastewater collected from livestock farms, hospitals and industries were found higher than that of WHO prescribed limits. Discharging such untreated wastewaters into water bodies is responsible for major source of water pollution leading to outbreaks of diseases and presence of antibiotic resistant bacteria continues to pose a significant public health problem.
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    ThesisItemOpen Access
    Circulation of Japanese Encephalitis virus in mosquito vectors, amplifying hosts and its association with human incidences in Assam
    (College of Veterinary Science, Assam Agricultural University, Khanapara Campus, 2022) Baruah, Aditya; Hussain, P
    Japanese encephalitis (JE) is a re-emerging mosquito-borne flaviviral zoonotic disease and a major cause for concern to childhood mortality and morbidity in countries of Southeast Asia including India. The disease has appeared in sporadic as well as epidemic forms since 1976 in Assam. The present study was envisaged to study the sero-prevalence of JE in pigs, the density pattern of mosquito vectors in JE endemic localities and to draw an association between the occurrence of JE in humans with serological studies in pigs and mosquito density. A total of 200 blood samples of pigs were collected during the study period (June-September, 2021) from Lakhimpur district of Assam. Out of these screened samples, 19% were found positive for antibodies against JEV. The sero-prevalence in different months was observed to be: June (16%), July (28%), August (20%) and September (12%). Sero-prevalence in Urban areas and Peri-Urban areas was observed to be 17.5% and 20%, respectively. The sero positivity in pigs based on their rearing practice in study area was recorded highest in Semi Intensive (25%) followed by intensive (17.5%), tethering (13.33%) and least in scavenging (10%). The rearing of other animals like ducks, poultry had significant relationship on JE seropositivity in pigs. The presence of stagnant water, water tanks, paddy field in the proximity of the pig farms showed higher sero-positivity (p<0.01). A total of 8 different species of mosquitoes were identified of which the most predominant was recorded to be Culex tritaeniorhynchus (26.58%) followed by Mansonia spp. (15.93%), Cule x vishnuix vishnuix vishnuix vishnui x vishnui (15.43%), Culex quinquefasciatus (14.67), Culex gelidus (10.60%), Culex fuscocephala (10.50%), Culex whitmorei (4.01%) and and and Anopheles spp. (2.23%). ). ). 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Culex tritaeniorhynchus and Mansonia spp. A positive correlation was observed between human JE cases and JEV sero-prevalence in pigs of Lakhimpur district of Assam where virus was also found to be circulating amongst the collected mosquito indicating an association between them.
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    ThesisItemOpen Access
    BACTERIOLOGICAL QUALITY AND MOLECULAR DETECTION OF FOOD-BORNE BACTERIAL PATHOGENS IN SAUM, AN ETHNIC FOOD OF MIZORAM
    (College of Veterinary Science, Assam Agricultural University, Khanapara, Guwahati, 2020-01) RALTE, LALLAWMZUALI; Hussain, Poznur
    Saum (a fermented pork fat) is one of the most favourite ethnic foods of the Mizo society. Due to lack of documentation and scanty literature as well as the limited scientific knowledge on Saum, the present study was carried out for a period of two year from November 2017 to October, 2019 to collect baseline data on the usage of Saum, to study the bacteriological quality and to isolate, identify and detect important food-borne bacterial pathogens viz., Escherichia. coli, Staphylococcus aureus, Listeria monocytogenes and Salmonella spp. and to study the antimicrobial resistance as well as to detect the virulence gene of the isolates in Saum by PCR. The study area was divided into three agro-climatic zones, viz., Humid Mild Tropical Hill Zone (Western zone); Humid Subtropical Hill Zone (Central zone) and Humid Temperate Sub-alpine Zone (Eastern zone). A total of 120 Saum samples collected and 120 questionnaires prepared comprising of 40 each (Saum samples and questionnaires) for each zones were sub-divided into 20 (household) and 20 (market) within each zones. The baseline data revealed that out of 120 respondents, the male and female ratio were 1:1 and majority were 40-59 years old (57.50%), educated up to matriculation (27.50%) with 45.00% Government servant. The families reared poultry (34.2%), pig (29.2%), cattle (2.5%) and goat (0.8%) and out of them 33.3% families reared livestock for business purposes. The homemade Saum was used by 57.5% families. Saum (once procured) were used more than 2 months (31.7%), 1 month (25.0%), 2 weeks (21.7%) and 1 week (21.7%) interval of time. Most of the families (74.17%) never mix old and new Saum. Mizo families used plastic sachets (38.3%), glass bottle (34.7%), bottle guard (23.3%) and steel container (3.3 %) for Saum. The families stored Saum at refrigerator (75.83%), near the fire (22.5 %) and under the sun (1.7%). The families took Saum directly (52.5% ) while 90.83 % families used Saum as seasoning for food and 70.8% families took same preparation of Saum more than once. Stomach pain was not recorded in 97.5% and absence of diarrhoea in 100% families due to Saum. Positive samples for coliform organisms and faecal streptococcal organisms were 65.00% and 72.5%, respectively. The overall acceptable Saum samples (m = 102 in 2 class plan) were 44.2% and 33.3%, in Coliform Count (CC) and Faecal Streptococcal Count (FSC), respectively. From all the three zones (n=20), the highest contaminated household and market were the Eastern zone household with mean value 1.82 ± 0.30 and 2.45 ± 0.18 log 10 cfu/g in CC and FSC and the Western zone Market with 2.16 ± 0.19 and 2.80 ± 0.09 log 10 cfu/g in CC and FSC, respectively. Overall (n=40) in three zones; the Central zone Saum samples was the lowest contaminated with 18% and 52.5% positive sample with mean value of 1.07 ± 0.18 and 1.09 ± 0.18 log 10 cfu/g in CC and FSC, respectively and the Western zone Saum sample was the highest contaminated zones with 35% positive each with mean value of 1.19 ± 0.15 and 2.23 ± 0.16 log 10 cfu/g for CC and FSC, respectively. Out of 120 Saum samples, 28, 34, 6 and 4 numbers of E. coli, S. aureus, L. monocytogenes and Salmonella spp. were isolated and detected with overall prevalence rate of 23.33%, 28.33%, 5 % and 3.33 % and the 95% Confidence Interval rate were 16%-31%, 20 % 20 %- 37 %, 0.9% 37 %, 0.9%37 %, 0.9% 37 %, 0.9% -8.3% 8.3% and 1.5and 1.5 and 1.5 - 10.6% , respectively. The highest resistance against ceftrioxone was showed by E. coli (42.86%) and S. aureus (82.35%) and 100% resistance was showed by Listeria monocytogenes against amikacin, ceftriaxone, cefoxitin, kanamycin and nalidixic acid, and Salmonella spp. recovered showed 100% resistance against imipenem, nalidixic acid and tetracycline. The virulence genes of 5 est gene of E. coli, 21 sea genes of Staphylococcus aureus, 2 invA genes of Salmonella were detected in Saum sample.