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Acute kidney injury (AKI) is a serious complication of infectious diseases like babesiosis and leptospirosis in dogs. Both the diseases show similar clinical manifestations, due to which timely differential diagnosis often gets delayed. The present study focused on diagnosis of major infectious agents causing AKI and its grading in dogs. Peripheral blood smear examination and PCR were used for the diagnosis of babesiosis. Leptospirosis was screened using PCR and MAT and was later confirmed by MAT on paired sera sample. Diagnosis of AKI was made based on the increase in serum creatinine levels ≥0.3 mg/dL within 48 h of presentation. Staging of animals was carried out as per International Renal Interest Society (IRIS) guidelines. All the dogs with confirmed leptospirosis and 15 per cent of dogs with babesiosis were diagnosed with AKI. The timely diagnosis of AKI in dogs during their initial stages helps to regain normal renal function within short-term treatment itself.

A survey was conducted (March 2020 to October 2020) on biosecurity practices, disease occurrence and antimicrobial usage of 77 broiler farms from five districts of Northern Kerala. Data were collected through a questionnaire and field-level disease diagnostic tests were conducted. Biosecurity status varied from farm to farm with 97.4 per cent promoted vaccination and 61.04 per cent disposed carcasses by burning. However, limitations were observed in the use of a footbath, quarantine of new stock, isolation of diseased birds and quality of water. The five most common diseases recorded were Chronic respiratory disease (48.1%), Acute Death Syndrome (27.3%), Colibacillosis (23.4%), Pullorum (18.2%) and Coccidiosis (18.2%). The commonly used antibiotics in poultry farms were Enrofloxacin (35.1%), Cephalexin (14.3%), Tylosin (11.7%) and Levofloxacin (10.4%). Some of the farmers (14.3%) were unaware of the antibiotics used in their farms, a potent risk factor for the emergence of antimicrobial resistance. About 19.49 per cent of farms restricted antibiotic use and 44.15 per cent of farms supported herbal traditional medicines as an alternative to antimicrobials.

Quaternary ammonium compounds (QAC) are widely used biocides in the field of medical and veterinary practice. Resistance to QACs is an emerging problem due to this widespread use. The present study was undertaken to detect the presence of genes that contribute to resistance to QACs in Staphylococcus aureus isolates obtained from udder surface and mastitis milk. A total 22 isolates of S. aureus were obtained from udder washings and milk of bovine mastitis cases. Among these, seventeen isolates were from udder wash samples and five isolates from clinical and subclinical cases of mastitis. Broth microdilution assay was performed to assess the minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) of the isolates against Cetyltrimethylammonium bromide (CTAB), a QAC. Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) was done targeting qac A/B gene which codes for efflux pump which targets QACs. In the present study qac A/B gene was detected in seven out of 22 isolates of S. aureus. Three of these isolates were obtained from udder washings before milking and four, after milking. None of the S. aureus isolates from mastitis milk possessed the gene. The average minimum inhibitory concentration of qac A/B positive isolates against CTAB was 0.63 ± 0.55 μg/ml. The average MIC between qac A/B positive and negative isolates were statistically insignificant. The study points to the fact that multiple factors could be contributing to biocide resistance in S. aureus.

Bordetella bronchiseptica is a gram–negative bacterium with a broad host range that is most commonly seen in animals kept in close quarters. It is considered to be one of the main causes of the canine infectious respiratory disease complex (CIRDC). In this study, 45 dogs with clinical signs suggestive of CIRDC were selected and nasal/ oropharyngeal swabs were collected aseptically. Total DNA was extracted from the swabs and subjected to polymerase chain reaction (PCR) targeting alc gene of Bordetella spp. for confirmation. Nine animals (20 per cent) tested positive for the presence of Bordetella antigen. All the dogs tested positive for Bordetellosis were less than one year of age. Most common clinical signs in positive dogs were cough and nasal discharge, and the majority of the bordetellosis positive dogs were from multiple dog houses.

Feline panleukopenia is a rapidly progressive viral disease of domestic cats caused by a single stranded parvovirus of the genus Protoparvovirus. The virus, owing to its ubiquitous nature, remains persistent in the environment for extended periods leading to frequent exposures in naïve cat population. Clinically, the disease is manifested as haemorrhagic enteritis characterised by vomiting, diarrhoea, dysentery, dehydration, shock and death. Previous studies conducted by Parthiban et al. (2014) and Koulath et al. (2017) detected feline panleukopenia in domestic cats of India using polymerase chain reaction (PCR) targeting VP2 gene of the virus. However, data related to the clinical manifestations of this disease in cats in India is limited. The current paper deals with the clinical findings of cats affected with feline panleukopenia in Kerala.

Leptospirosis is an important bacterial zoonosis caused by many pathogenic serovars of Leptospirainterrogans. Rodents act as reservoir host for the disease and animals like dogs, pigs and cattle act as temporary carriers (Tilahun et al., 2013). The members belonging to the genus Leptospira are grouped into 22 antigenically related species and classified into more than 300serovars (Picardueet al., 2017). South Indian states such as Kerala, Karnataka and Tamil Nadu are endemic for leptospirosis (Himaniet al., 2013). Vaccination is an effective method for control of the disease. But, the immunity against leptospirosis is serovar specific. Hence, it is necessary to identify the geographically prevalent serovar and it is necessary to incorporate them in vaccine. So, the present study was undertaken to identify the prevalent serovar of Leptospira in Wayanaddistrict of Kerala.

There are about 356 species of psittacines in the world and number of people keeping parrots as pets is innumerable. In spite of the rapid growth of Indian aviculture industry, lack of proper field diagnosis of diseases in these birds is a burning issue faced by both veterinarians and owners. Paramyxoviral infection is a threat to the aviculture industry since it spreads quickly and results in high mortality. Differential diagnosis in parrots showing neurological and respiratory signs is of paramount importance. In the present study 11 parrots namely cockatiels and alexandrine parakeets showing neurological and respiratory signs were screened for the presence of paramyxoviral infection using NDV antigen lateral flow kits. All the birds tested were positive for paramyxoviral infection. These lateral flow kits can act as a good field diagnosis for paramyxoviral infection in psittacines. The present study was the first to use lateral flow kits to identify infectious causes of neurological signs in birds of Kerala.

Strontium (50%) incorporated calcium hydroxyapatite coated with silica based ceramic (Sr-HASi) is a biodegradable graft substitute used in the treatment of bone defects and osteoporotic conditions. The material was reported to degrade in par with the regrowth of bone tissue, but a long term clinical study to assess the fate of the material was lacking. The study was done in a two month old male Jamunapari cross bred kid with distal comminuted fracture of metacarpal bone and treated by bioceramic graft substitution. Radiography was used for evaluating the changes of the graft and time taken for degradation, along with evaluation of bone healing. Postoperative orthogonal views of the graft substituted bone was taken on 2nd, 4th, 6th, 8th and 24th week after surgery. The graft was found to remain stable and completely radiopaque till 4th week and thereafter signs of gradual degradation could be noticed. On the radiograph taken after twenty four weeks, the central core of the graft material got completely degraded leaving only the peripheral outline. The graft material remained intact and well incorporated within the bony callus till the secondary callus development was complete and degradation was noticed once the remodelling process has started. Hence, it was concluded that complete resorption of the material might require more than six months in a clinical situation

Among 57 clinically suspected dogs, 15.8 per cent and 19.3 per cent respectively, had CPV antigen in the faecal samples by AGID and CIEP. Hamagglutination test detected CPV antigen in faecal samples of 61.4 per cent of the clinically suspected dogs. Haemagglutination was found to be significantly superior• than AGID and CIEP for the detection of canine parvo virus antigen in faeces.