MADRAS VETERINARY COLLEGE

DEPARTMENT OF VETERINARY MICROBIOLOGY

MISSION STATEMENT

The Department of Veterinary Microbiology wishes to be a leading institution in identifying and controlling the infectious diseases of animals and birds through quality education, sustained and fruitful research and result oriented extension activities.

HISTORY

The subject Veterinary Microbiology was taught to the students of Veterinary Science as early as 1904. It was first taught under the aegis of Department of Bacteriology and Pathology. The Department of Bacteriology became a separate entity during 1949 and Dr. I. M. Azizuddin became the first head of the Department. A separate Department of Virology was started during 1971. Later during 1977 the departments of Bacteriology and Virology were merged together to become Department of Microbiology. It was renamed as Department of Veterinary Microbiology during 2002. The Department is one of the oldest departments and has achieved many laurels.

OBJECTIVES

• To offer quality education in Veterinary Microbiology using modern education technology to equip veterinarians to meet challenges in field.
• To develop and standardize vaccines and diagnostics for infectious diseases like PPR, blue tongue, Newcastle disease, avian infectious bronchitis, infectious bursal disease, haemorrhagic septicaemia, anthrax, Johne’s disease and coli septicaemia.
• To transfer the technologies developed at the department of farmers.
• To develop and standardize DNA vaccines and marker vaccines against diseases like tuberculosis and Newcastle disease to evolve eradication programme.
• To find out the feasibilities to make the products / techniques develoed at the department cost effective.
• To start continuing professional developmental programmes for veterinarians in microbiological techniques and microbiological issues related to international trade and business of animals and animal products including food from animal origin.

EDUCATION

This Department is one of the first few departments to offer M.V.Sc and Ph.D as early as 1958 and 1977 respectively. Besides offering M.V.Sc and Ph.D programmes, this department is offering following courses for UG students. So far 122 M.V.Sc’s   and 40 Ph.Ds have passed out from this department. The following courses are offered to the undergraduate students
VMC 211         General Veterinary Microbiology                 1+1
VMC 221         Immunology and Serology                         1+1
VMC 311         Systematic Bacteriology                             2+1
VMC 321         Systematic Virology                                   2+1
VLD  421         Laboratory Diagnosis – I                            0+2
VLD 511          Laboratory Diagnosis – II                           0+2

RESEARCH

This Department has excellent facilities to carryout research in microbiology. The following schemes have been completed successfully by obtaining funds from various funding agencies like PL480, Department of Biotechnology, Govt. of India, Board of Radiation and Isotope Technology, National Project for Rinderpest Eradication, Indian Council of Agricultural Research, National Agricultural Technology Project and Government of Tamil Nadu.
Completed Research Schemes:   

1. PL 480 scheme of surface defects of skin and hides
2. Sero-surveillance of blue tongue in Tamil Nadu
3. A molecular probe for rapid diagnosis and epidemiology of viral disease of cultural species of Prawns.
4. Development of RIA/IRMA kit for the diagnosis of blue tongue
5. Development of homologous vaccine against PPR
6. Preparation of oral pellet vaccine against Newcastle disease
7. Evaluation of inactivated oil emulsion vaccine for infectious bursal disease virus of tissue culture origin under laboratory and field conditions.
8. Development of a thermostable Vero cell adapted peste des petits ruminants Virus Vaccine
9. Veterinary diagnostics for prevalent and emerging diseases
10. Microbiological approach to reduce calf mortality in Tamil Nadu
11. Development of safe and potent anthrax vaccine for small ruminants

On-going Research Schemes:

1. Production evaluation and Standardization of Vero cell adapted live attenuated peste des petits ruminants (PPR) Virus vaccine under field conditions
2. All India Coordinated Research Project in haemorrhagic septicaemia
3. Development of vaccine against coliform mastitis
4. NADP Project on Novel diagnostics and vaccine delivery system for emerging and economically important bacterial and viral diseases affecting small ruminants.

Important Equipments:

1. Class III bio-safety cabinet
2. Class II bio-safety cabinet
3. PCR thermal cyclers
4. ELISA readers
5. Gamma counter
6. Complete electrophoresis system
7. Gel Doc system
8. Freeze driers
9. Centrifuges and microfuge
10. Ultra low freezers
11. UV illuminators
12. Inverted microscopes
13. Monopan balance
14. Research microscopes
15. Repeater pipettes
16. Laminar flows
17. Co2 incubators
18. Pentium systems
19. LAN facilities with Internet connections (unlimited)

Summer Schools conducted:

1. State of art immunodiagnostics and computer applications in emerging microbioal diseases of animals  (1999)
2. Modern diagnostic techniques in the control and prevention of viral diseases of small ruminants with special reference to peste des petits ruminants, sheep pox and blue tongue  (2003)
3. Global challenges in vaccinology and control of animal diseases – strategies, approach and blueprint  (2006)

Trainings conducted:

1. National Workshop on diagnosis of blue tongue (1996)
2. Training Programme on emerging bacterial and viral diseases (1997)
3. Summer training programme for B.Sc. Microbiology students (2001)
4. Training on PPR vaccine production to scientists of vaccine manufacturers of other states (2003).
5. ASCAD programme – Training to VAS in microbiology techniques (2005-06).
6. Training on microbiological techniques to B.Tech students (3 batches) – (2006-07)

Salient Research Achievements:

1. Developed and transferred the technology of production of live vaccine against PPR (Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh).
2. Developed and transferred the technology of production of live vaccine against fowl pox to IVPM.
3. Developed and standardized of production of oral pellet and thermostable live vaccines against Newcastle disease.
4. Developed and standardized the production of tissue culture adapted inactivated oil emulsion vaccine against IBD.
5. Developed and standardized the production of thermostable live vaccine against PPR.
6. Developed single serum dilution ELISA kit for the quantification of antibodies against Newcastle disease and infectious bronchitis viruses.
7. Developed and standardized biofilm based vaccine against E.coli causing diarrhoea in calves.
8. Developed and standardized a modified vaccine and immunodiagnostics against anthrax.
9. Developed and standardized vaccine against Pasteurellosis in sheep and subunit vaccine against fowl cholera in poultry.
10. Pasteurella organisms causing infections in animals and birds have been molecularly characterized.
11. Developed diagnostic methods for the diagnosis of morbilli viruses - rinderpest, PPR and canine distemper.
12. First report on the isolation and identification of peste des petits ruminants virus in sheep in India.
13. Studies on sero-prevalence, isolation and characterization of blue tongue virus in sheep in India.
14. Plasmid profile analysis of E.coli and Salmonella sp. of poultry origin.  In addition plasmid studies on E.coli of diarrhoeic calves have been identified as an epidemiological marker in control of infection.
15. Third global report on occurrence of Newcastle disease in Japanese quails.
16. Standardized a rapid detection method for anthrax bacilli in the context of issue of health certificate for animal by-product export.
17. Received team award for PL 480 project by USDA in 1991.
18. Development of animal cell culture facilities three decades back and development since then.
19. Extensive studies on various aspects of Newcastle disease.
20. SEMBV and MBV were recorded among shrimps in India.
21. The technique of production of antibodies against snake venoms (Cobra and viper) have been standardized.  This will replace the use of horses in production of anti snake venom antibodies.
22. NDV isolates obtained from village chicken were sequenced and sequence submitted to genbank.
23. Characterization of the nucleoprotein gene of Newcastle disease virus and B cell epitopes have been predicted for possible production of marker vaccine.
24. The nucleoprotein gene of Newcastle disease virus has been cloned and expressed and an enzyme immunoassay has been standardized using the recombinant proteins.

EXTENSION

Since the inception of the department, it is involved in solving all the disease problems of this part of the country.  The department also conducts regular in service training programmes for the field veterinarians, and specilised programmes for scientific workers on the diagnosis of blue tongue, diagnosis of bacterial and viral diseases etc.

VISION

1. Establishment of Centre of Excellence in Veterinary Pathobiology (Microbiology Section)
2. Development of multimedia CD-ROMs for UG courses under Veterinary Council of India Pattern.

3. Isolation and molecular characterization of Newcastle disease virus from chickens and other birds.
4. Establishment of Referral Centre for Morbilli virus infections in small ruminants.
5. Establishment of Referral Centre for Poultry viruses
6. Molecular charaterisation of E.coli and Pasteurella multocida from birds and animals.
7. Development of DNA vaccines for tuberculosis and paratuberculosis.
8. Development of recombinant vaccine for B.anthracis
9. Studies on emerging disease problems in poultry.
10. Development of vaccine against bacteria causing mastitis.

STAFF PATTERN

Name	Designation	Specilization
Dr. N. Daniel Joy Chandran daniel@tanuvas.org.in	Professor and Head	Virology
Dr. J. John Kirubaharan john@tanuvas.org.in	Professor	Virology, Education technology
Dr. A. Thangavelu thangavelu@tanuvas.org.in	Professor	Immunology, Bacteriology
Dr. K. Shoba drsobsri@yahoo.com	Associate Professor	Virology
Dr. A. Shyam Babu shyambabu.a@tanuvas.org.in	Assistant Professor	Virology
Dr. M. Vidhya	Assistant Professor	Bacteriology

COMMUNICATION

Telephone  : 91-44-25304000, Extn. 2054
Fax            : 91-44-25362787 and 91-44-25388997
Email         : hodvmcmvc@tanuvas.org.in