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Highly Pathogenic H5N1 influenza viruses have repeatedly caused serious outbreaks of disease in poultry since its first report in 1997. The disease is a major concern because of its economic impact on poultry industry due to high mortality and potential threat to human health. Outbreaks due to highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) H5N1 virus were reported for the first time in India during 2006, in Jalgoan and Navapur areas of Maharashtra state. Three virus isolates of H5N1 obtained from the backyard poultry were used in this study for molecular characterization. To study the phylogenetic relationship of H5N1 virus isolates with other H5N1 viruses, world over, complete genome of all the eight RNA segments were amplified, sequenced and subjected to phylogenetic analysis. The phylogenetic tree shows that the viruses belong to clade 2.2 and were most likely introduced to India from China via Europe because isolates share a direct ancestral relationship with the virus isolates of china. The presence of polybasic amino acids at HA cleavage site and also amino acid lysine at 627 position of PB2 protein suggested their capability to cross the host barrier. This change had indicated the propensity of viruses to infect non-avian species and its threats to humanbeing.

The paradigmatic, fatal and devastating ailment called avian influenza or bird flu is a highly contagious viral disease caused by type A influenza virus, It primarily affects the respiratory, digestive and/or nervous system of chickens, turkeys, guinea fowls and other avian species and less commonly pigs and other species of mammals including human. In India, The first pandemic outbreak of Avian Influenza was reported during 2006. In this study, we selected an isolate of high pathogenic avian influenza (A/Ck/Jalgaon/India/12419/2006) H5N1 virus and propagated in chicken embryo fibroblast. Later this virus was adopted and propagated in Madin-Darby canine kidney cells (MDCK) and Vero cells. Infected non-avian cells with an avian virus shown cytopathic effects like rounding, cytoplasmic elongation, syncytia formation and later stages fluffing from the attached surface. The harvested virus suspension shown increased haemagglutination titre (HA) than viral suspension from chicken embryo fibroblast culture and the presence of virus was confirmed by reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). The obtained result reveals that virus had capacity to adopt for the invitro culture and propagate in non avian host cells with higher titre. This infers the chance of virus to cross the host barrier and probable chance of infection in human being.

Objective: To compared seed culture of hemorrhagic septicemia (HS) bacteria which was used to produce vaccine for its antibody induction efficiency before and after passaging in natural host (calf) using laboratory animals. Methods: Serial dilution of virulent bacteria was injected in to mice which were immunized with HS vaccine which was obtained from seed bacteria before and after back passaged in calf. Ratio of survived and dead was calculated by Reed-Meunch hypothesis and the LD50 value for each vaccine trial groups were calculated. Results: The immunological study revealed that vaccine prepared from back passaged seed culture showed greater improvement in its immunopotency than seed vaccine (before back passage). Around 200 mice were used to study the immuno efficiency of vaccine. Each mouse was from the same source, which were free from the Pastuerella infection previous to expose to trial infection. The same broth culture of HS was used to induce infection in mice in both trials (vaccine before back passage and vaccine after back passage). The 0.2 mL of broth dilution from 10−1 to 10−10 was used, as dilution increases, death rate decreases. It indicates the minimum load of bacterium is required to induced infection. Conclusions: Obtained results revealed that back passaged vaccine seed HS bacteria in its natural host had provided better immune efficiency to the culture than laboratory stock culture, and this findings recommended that regular annual back passage was mandatory for the vaccine seed culture of Pastuerella multocida bacteria for better establishment of immune potent vaccines.

Certain blood parameters indicate the postpartum reproductive performance in cattle. In the present study, blood samples were collected from 25 lactating animals on 10 ththth th day of calving and thereafter at weekly intervals upto 12 weeks postpartum. The samples were analyzed for glucose, cholesterol, serum urea nitrogen (SUN) and total proteins, which were correlated with the postpartum reproductive efficiency in cattle. Animals with more amount of blood glucose (55.49mg/dl) came to heat within 2 months compared to those with lesser blood glucose (50.20mg/dl), which came to heat after 2 months postpartum. There was no significant difference in the blood total protein concentration between the two groups of animals i.e which conceived with in 3 months and another group which conceived after 3 months. Significantly more blood cholesterol (181.8mg) was present in animals which came to heat within 2 months than animals with cholesterol (159.9mg/dl) which came to heat after 2 months postpartum. Animals with lesser BUN (14.74 mg/dl) came to heat early compared to those with more amount of BUN (15.69 mg/dl). There was significant correlation of blood glucose, cholesterol and BUN with first postpartum heat.