pooled milk was CMT positive were individually
tested by CMT to identify animals with SCM.
A simple, easily dispensable oral regimen of
trisodium citrate was then provided to the farmer
for CMT positive animals to be provided in drinking
water or feed every day for 10 consecutive days.
Unresolved cases (persistently CMT positive after
two consecutive regimens) were referred to the
veterinarian for further treatment. The average
percentage of SCM as judged by CMT positive
pooled milk samples of cattle and buffaloes in the
50 DCSs was found to be significantly reduced from
55 per cent at the start of the project in January
2015 to 22 per cent by August 2016. The farmers
also appreciated the benefits of carrying out this
simple procedure of CMT testing and oral regimen
since it increased their profitability.
B. Brucella Control Project
1. Rapargarh Gaushala takes up brucella control
Vipulbhai is the owner of Rapargarh Gaushala in
Naliya Taluk of Kutch district having 750 animals,
mainly indigenous breeds like Kankrej and Gir.
Awareness programme on brucellosis control
Before the implementation of the pilot project on
brucellosis control in Kutch, he had no awareness
about the disease and did not allow vaccination of
the female calves in the gaushala. The placenta or
aborted material used to be openly disposed with
no disinfection being followed. Milk was also being
consumed without boiling.
After the awareness programme was conducted,
Milk Ring Test (MRT) and Rose Bengal Plate Test
(RBPT) were carried out in the gaushala. Many
animals were found positive for brucellosis. Now, all
the calves are being vaccinated and ear-tagged.
The disposal of placenta and aborted material and
disinfection of infected premises is carried out as
per the standard protocol. Vipulbhai has stopped
drinking milk without boiling and also educates
others on the same. The number of abortions in
the gaushala has reduced drastically. He is now
convinced of the benefits of the brucella control
programme and also strives to create awareness
amongst other villagers.
25
 Corporate Overview A nnual R eport 2 0 1 6 - 1 7

Research & Development

NDDB’s R&D laboratory caters to the routine disease monitoring needs of
bovine breeding farms - the semen stations and bull mother farms, breed
improvement projects under NDP I, and the disease control projects.

NDDB’s R&D laboratory in Hyderabad renders extensive A total of 14,355 serum samples from cattle and
disease diagnostic support for bovine diseases and buffaloes were screened for detection of persistently
semen testing in accordance with international quality infected animals by employing BVD antigen ELISA kit
standards. The laboratory is equipped with state-of- (n=14,128) for animals above six-month of age and real-
the-art instrumentation and trained personnel for the time PCR (n=227) for calves below six month age. Only
performance of high-throughput screening assays. It 0.26 per cent animals turned positive in BVD antigen
employs established methods and proven techniques for ELISA kit. But none of those animals were persistently
diagnosis of infectious diseases; with an emphasis on infected with BVD as they turned negative on further
diseases known to cause vertical transmission. Semen sampling after one month. Screening of 1,484 animals
stations regularly avail semen testing services for the by ELISA revealed 1.56 per cent positivity for JD. None
pathogen-free production of high-quality frozen semen of the prepucial washing collected from bulls were found
doses (FSD). Research programmes are focussed on positive for BGC and trichomonosis.
development and evaluation of novel diagnostic assays.
The laboratory also screened all the animals of six
The laboratory also undertakes disease prevalence
organised herds to ascertain the prevalence of
studies for aiding timely design of effective disease
anaplasma and bluetongue (BT) antibodies. Testing
management strategies.
of 1,595 serum samples by ELISA revealed 22.88
per cent and 84.2 per cent prevalence of anaplasma
Disease diagnosis
and BT respectively. Both anaplasmosis and BT are
The sexually transmitted diseases of cattle and buffaloes, vector-borne diseases transmitted by ticks and midges,
listed in the compendium of minimum standard protocol respectively. These prevalence data advocates initiation
(MSP diseases) for bovine breeding, by the Department
of Animal Husbandry, Dairying & Fisheries, Government
of India forms the focus of diagnostic activity. Validated
serological assays (various formats of ELISA), molecular
diagnostics (PCR, real-time PCR), microbial and cell
culture techniques are employed for disease diagnosis.
A total of 97,699 samples from cattle and buffaloes
were screened for MSP diseases viz., infectious bovine
rhinotracheitis (IBR), bovine brucellosis, bovine viral
diarrhoea (BVD), Johne’s disease (JD), bovine genital
campylobacteriosis (BGC) and trichomonosis.

Serological screening of 17,280 and 17,255 serum samples

from cattle and buffaloes revealed 2.21 per cent and 27.82
per cent positivity for brucellosis and IBR respectively. The
sero-prevalence of brucellosis and IBR at village level was
found to be 3.12 per cent and 31.16 per cent, respectively.
This prevalence rate in contrast to organised herds (semen
stations, bull mother farms and dairy farms) where 0.93 per
cent and 23.5 per cent animals were recorded positive for
brucellosis and IBR respectively. The disease prevalence
further reduced in semen stations where only 0.07 per
cent and 19.77 per cent animals were declared positive
for brucellosis and IBR respectively. These observations
reinforce the importance of good management practices,
implementation of strict bio-security measures and periodic
disease monitoring in control of infectious diseases.

26 National Dairy Development Board