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Kerala Agricultural University, Thrissur

The history of agricultural education in Kerala can be traced back to the year 1896 when a scheme was evolved in the erstwhile Travancore State to train a few young men in scientific agriculture at the Demonstration Farm, Karamana, Thiruvananthapuram, presently, the Cropping Systems Research Centre under Kerala Agricultural University. Agriculture was introduced as an optional subject in the middle school classes in the State in 1922 when an Agricultural Middle School was started at Aluva, Ernakulam District. The popularity and usefulness of this school led to the starting of similar institutions at Kottarakkara and Konni in 1928 and 1931 respectively. Agriculture was later introduced as an optional subject for Intermediate Course in 1953. In 1955, the erstwhile Government of Travancore-Cochin started the Agricultural College and Research Institute at Vellayani, Thiruvananthapuram and the College of Veterinary and Animal Sciences at Mannuthy, Thrissur for imparting higher education in agricultural and veterinary sciences, respectively. These institutions were brought under the direct administrative control of the Department of Agriculture and the Department of Animal Husbandry, respectively. With the formation of Kerala State in 1956, these two colleges were affiliated to the University of Kerala. The post-graduate programmes leading to M.Sc. (Ag), M.V.Sc. and Ph.D. degrees were started in 1961, 1962 and 1965 respectively. On the recommendation of the Second National Education Commission (1964-66) headed by Dr. D.S. Kothari, the then Chairman of the University Grants Commission, one Agricultural University in each State was established. The State Agricultural Universities (SAUs) were established in India as an integral part of the National Agricultural Research System to give the much needed impetus to Agriculture Education and Research in the Country. As a result the Kerala Agricultural University (KAU) was established on 24th February 1971 by virtue of the Act 33 of 1971 and started functioning on 1st February 1972. The Kerala Agricultural University is the 15th in the series of the SAUs. In accordance with the provisions of KAU Act of 1971, the Agricultural College and Research Institute at Vellayani, and the College of Veterinary and Animal Sciences, Mannuthy, were brought under the Kerala Agricultural University. In addition, twenty one agricultural and animal husbandry research stations were also transferred to the KAU for taking up research and extension programmes on various crops, animals, birds, etc. During 2011, Kerala Agricultural University was trifurcated into Kerala Veterinary and Animal Sciences University (KVASU), Kerala University of Fisheries and Ocean Studies (KUFOS) and Kerala Agricultural University (KAU). Now the University has seven colleges (four Agriculture, one Agricultural Engineering, one Forestry, one Co-operation Banking & Management), six RARSs, seven KVKs, 15 Research Stations and 16 Research and Extension Units under the faculties of Agriculture, Agricultural Engineering and Forestry. In addition, one Academy on Climate Change Adaptation and one Institute of Agricultural Technology offering M.Sc. (Integrated) Climate Change Adaptation and Diploma in Agricultural Sciences respectively are also functioning in Kerala Agricultural University.

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1978 - 19793
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Subject: Veterinary Microbiology × Author: KAU × End date: 1979 × Start date: 1978 × Type: Thesis × Thesis Type: M.V.Sc. ×
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    ThesisItemOpen Access
    Studies on the bacterial species associated with gastroenteritis in goats
    (Department of Microbiology, College of Veterinary and Animal Sciences, Mannuthy, 1979) Sebastian, Joseph; KAU; Abdulla, P K
    The information regarding the incidence, etiology and pathogenicity of enteric pathogens in goats is very meagre in our country. The present study is aimed at the isolation, identification and characterisation of Enterobacterial organisms from cases of enteritis in goats. The study also included, determination of sensitivity pattern of the isolates to various chemotherapeutic agents. A total of 190 specimens, which included rectal swabs (60), intestinal contents, portions of large and small intestines (92) and mesenteric lymph nodes (38) collected from live/dead animals were examined for enteric pathogens. From these specimens examined, 86 isolates of Escherichia coli (45.26 per cent), 39 Enterobacter cloacae (20.33 per cent) and two Salmonella (1.05 per cent) were obtained. Of all the E.coli isolates, only one (EC/11) was found to be haemolytic. In addition to the above specimens, eight samples of heart blood and 34 specimens of lung tissues collected from cases of gastroenteritis were also examined for the presence of bacterial organisms. Seven isolates of Streptococcus pyogenes (from lung tissues only), 15 isolates of Klebsiella Pneumoniae (from lung tissues only), and one isolate of Corynebacterium pyogenes (from lung tissues only) were obtained. The ability of haemolytic E.coli (EC/11) to produce necrotoxin on rabbit skin was tested and the lesions produced were of necrotic changes. The strain was also found to be pathogenic to mice when tested. One isolate of Salmonella (S/1) was also tested for its pathogenicity to mice, and found non – pathogenic. Enterotoxin production in rabbit ileal loop was studied with haemolytic (EC/11) and non – haemolytic (EC/15) E.coli. The test materials included peptone water culture, soft agar culture fluid and acetone precipitated culture fluid. The results of the experiment have shown that, non – haemolytic E.coli produced dilatation reaction, while the haemolytic E.coli did not. The lesions noticed in the ileal segments of positive reaction were typical of enteritis. Antibiotic sensitivity studies were conducted using 11 chemotherapeutic agents (Ampicillin, bacitracin, chloramphenicol, erythromycin, gentamicin, kanamycin, nitrofuran, penicillin, streptomycin, sulphonamide and tetracycline) on E.coli Salmonella and Enterobacter cloacae. The result showed that cent per cent isolates of E.coli were sensitive to gentamicin, 95.35 per cent to nitrofuran, 88.37 per cent to chloramphenicol, 60.47 per cent to kanamycin, 40.70 per cent to streptomycin, 8.14 per cent to tetracycline and 2.33 per cent to erythromycin. All the 39 isolates of Enterobacter closcae tested were sensitive to gentamicin and kanamycin, whereas 30 (76.92 per cent) were sensitive to chloramphenicol and nitrofuran and 15 (38.46 per cent) to streptomycin. The drugs of choice for Salmonella were found to be gentamicin, chloramphenicol, nitrofuran and streptomycin.
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    ThesisItemOpen Access
    Immunology survey on the incidence of infectious bronchitis(IB) and infectious laryngotracheitis (ILT) in poultry in and around Trichur
    (Department of Microbiology, College of Veterinary and Animal Sciences, Mannuthy, 1979) George, M C; KAU; Punnoose, K T
    Infectious bronchitis and infectious laryngotrancheitis are the two viral diseases of poultry responsible for economic loss to the poultry industry by way of decreased egg production, poor quality of eggs, decreased feed efficiency and loss of weight gain. These disease have been reported from the neighbouring states of Kerala. In the present study a serological survey was carried out to understand the prevalence of these two disease in the poultry population in and around Trichur. A total of 2,110 serum samples have been collected from the field, comprising of white leghorn, Rhode Island Red and Desi birds belonging to different age groups. Serum samples were collected from organized farms, from birds kept by farmers and from the birds slaughtered in different hotels at Trichur. These serum samples were tested against the infectious bronchitis and infectious laryngotracheitis by employing agar gel precipitation test. The chorioallantoic membrane and allantoic fluid of infected embryos were used for the preparation of antigens for agar gel precipitation test. The potency of antigens was tested by conducting the agar gel precipitation test with corresponding hyper immuns sera prepared in white leghon male chicks of six to eight weeks of age. A line of precipitation was obtained in both cases which was close and curved towards the antigen well, because of the high concentration of antibody in the sera and due to the high molecular weight of the antigen. In the case of infectious bronchitis the line of precipitation was distinct where as in case of infectious laryngotrachetis it was diffused. The antigen, whose efficiency was tested using hyper immune sera, was used to test samples of sera collected from the field. The samples were pooled to 211 groups and tested for the presence of infectious bronchitis and infectious larygotracheitis precipitating antibodies separately by agar gel precipitation test. None of the samples gave precipitin line either to infectious bronchitis or to infectious larygotracheitis. So it was assumed that both of these viral disease are not prevalent in Trichur and its suburbs.
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    ThesisItemOpen Access
    Investigation on the aetiology of plague -like disease in ducks In Kerala
    (Department of Microbiology, College of Veterinary and Animal Sciences, Mannuthy, 1978) Krishnan Nair, G; KAU; Sulochana, S
    An investigation was carried out to isolate, characterize and identify the agent responsible for the outbreak of duck plague – like disease in ducks in Kerala. Specimens (liver and spleen) from field cases, were processed for virus isolation and were inoculated into either developing duck or chick embryos, by chorio – allantoic (C.A.M.) or allantoic cavity method. Virus isolation was possible only by C. A. M. inoculation of duck embryos and was confirmed by inoculation of the C.A.M. extracts into duck embryo fibroblast (D.E.F.) cell cultures. The cytopathic changes produced by the field isolate DPV – N; its physico – chemical characteristics such as sensitivity to chloroform and 5 – iodo – 2 deoxyuridine; and the effect of exposure to various pH values such as 4.7, 7.2 and 9.1, were compared with that of a known duck plague virus DPV – K, received from the Veterinary Biological Institute, Mannuthy. In D.E.F. cell cultures, the cytopathic changes produced by DPV – N and DPV – K were rounding and clumping of cells, with characteristic basophilia and granulation of the cytoplasm. Although the initial titers of both DPV - N and DPV - K were only 105 and 106.25, they increased to 107.5 and 108.25 respectively, on further passages. The field isolate DPV – N and the known duck plague virus DPV – K were sensitive to 5% chloroform, with complete inactivation in ten minutes. Similarly, both the strains failed to multiply and produce cytopathis changes in cells treated with IUdR, at the rate of 100 micrograms per ml. However, differences were observed in their thermostability and pH sensitivity. Although DPV – K was inactivated completely at 560 C. in 30 minutes, DPV – N was only partially reduced in titer. DPV – N was also found to be resistant, when both the strains were exposed to pH 4.7, for a period of four hours at room temperature. But both were unaffected at pH 7.2 and got inactivated at pH 9.1. Both the strains also failed to produce any haemagglutination reaction with chicken R.B.C or precipitation reaction in agar gels. Although duck plague specific antiserum neutralized homologous strain DPV – K and the newly isolated strain DPV – N, the serum titers obtained with the latter was only less. Experimental infection studies have shown that one to six week – old ducklings were equally susceptible to DPV – N and DPV- K, either with the spleen extract or with tissue culture passaged sample. The symptoms and lesions produced in both cases, were similar to those described for duck plague and also to those seen during the disease outbreak in Kerala. The virus that caused an outbreak of duck plague - like disease in Kerala is found to be indistinguishable from that of duck plague. It is also strongly felt that the lack of complete protection of birds vaccinated with duck plague vaccine is due to t possible strain variation between the classical duck plague virus DPV – K and the virus as it occurred during this outbreak. However, it needs thorough in vitro cross neutralization and in vivo cross protection tests before any definite conclusions can be made on the strain variation of duck plague virus.