Parasitology

The department of Parasitology came into existence in August 1960. The master degree programme in Parasitology started in the year 1994-95 and the Ph.D. degree by research was started in 1974. So far, 34 M.V.Sc. and 4 Ph.D. students have been completed their postgraduate degree successfully. The department is engaged in undergraduate and postgraduate teaching and research activities. Department is also in extension programmes to provide diagnostic aid and expertise as interdisciplinary help in control of parasitic diseases. More than 100 research papers have been published incorporating the research data in journals of National and International repute. The department is also engaged in giving lectures in short term training courses arranged at college level.

  The academic staff of department is regular participant in several national and international congress/ conferences. Research work of two boys and one girl student from Denmark was also undertaken and supervised in this department. The staff of department is concentrating in the field of bionomics, biology, diagnosis, immunology and control of parasitic diseases of livestock and poultry.

The department has got various instruments viz. UV-VIS Spectrophotometer, Laminar flow, Western blot apparatus, Hot air oven, Deep freeze, Homogenizer, Serological water bath, Deionizer, Zoom stereo trinacular microscope, Ultrasonicator, Horizontal gel electrophoresis, ELISA reader, Vortex mixer, Refrigerator, Monopan balance, Incubator, Zoom microscope, slide projector, OHP, micrometer, Res. Binocular microscope, Compound microscopes, Dissecting microscopes, Inverted microscope, Centrifuge machine etc. 

• Bionomics and control of flies of livestock.
• Bionomics ,biology and control of ticks of livestock
• Epidemiology and control of helminthes parasites of livestock and birds
• Immunology and pathology of nasal schistosomiasis in cattle Epidemiology and control of haemoprotozoan parasites of livestock and pet animals
• Bionomics and control of ectoparasites of poultry and pet animals
• Studies on herbal ectoparasiticides in cattle , dogs
• The department has been participated in communicating scientific information on various parasitic diseases to livestock owners through a media viz.”Doordarshan” , “Akashwani” , “News papers” , “Krishi Patrika” , N.S.S. camps etc. in local language Pashupatrika.

1. Conventional and molecular diagnosis of haemoprotozoa infection in bovines.
2. Development of rapid diagnostic test for Theileriosis.
3. Studies on helminthic infections in goat and their control.
4. Training of the field persons for parasitic disease diagnosis.
5. Screening   of  prevalent  haemoprotozoan and helminthic  diseases in domestic animals in  Vidarbha region
6. Development of study material and modern lab. Facilities for effective teaching and research
7. Development of protocol and procedures for smooth conduct of accreditation of laboratory for practical, hands on training and disease diagnosis
8. To conduct research on epidemiological studies of parasitic diseases in domestic animals. 

1. Undergraduate
2. Postgraduate
3. Ph. D.

The department of Parasitology, N. V. C., Nagpur carried out research work during June, 2004 to May, 2007 under the ICAR Ad-hoc scheme entitled, “Immunological control of bovine ticks”. The study conducted on preparation, purification and analysis of immune response of partially purified salivary gland antigen of Rhipicephalus haemaphysaloides ticks and in-vivo efficacy, which revealed the suitability of partially purified salivary gland antigen as a vaccine candidate for control of ticks in experimental bovine calves as evidenced by elevation in rejection percentage, engorgement and preoviposition period while reduction in engorgement weight, egg mass weight and oviposition period. In completed scheme Dr. D. K. Maske, Professor of Parasitology worked as principal investigator.

The research work under the project entitled,” Assessment of Bm 95as a vaccine candidate against ticks in bovine calves” funded by Indian Immunological Ltd., carried out during the period from Nov. 2007 to Feb. 2008. The present study suggested that recombinant Bm 95 vaccine can constitute partially good immunogenic for use as Immunoprophylaxis against bovine ticks.

The Department of Veterinary Parasitology, NVC Nagpur has implemented BBSRC-DBT Project “Molecular epidemiology of ticks and tick-borne disease, host resistance and development of novel pathogen vaccines”  from 2014 to 2018 . This project was an international (BBSRC-DBT) collaborative and multi-institutional project. It included Department of Parasitology NVC, MAFSU Nagpur, Department of Veterinary Parasitology, Madras Veterinary College, Chennai (TANUVAS), Department of Veterinary Parasitology, Veterinary College and Research Institute Namakkal, (TANUVAS) and University of Glasgow (Scotland). Department of Biotechnology provided fund to Indian collaborators and BBSRC provided fund to UK Collaborators.

This department is implementing a Research project “Development of Lateral Flow/ELISA Detection Kit for the early diagnosis of theileriosis in Cattle” in collaboration with  the industry partner GNG Nagpur, funded by BIRAC New Delhi. (2019-20)

 Significant research and other achievements

1. The most notable finding was the detection of Babesia bovis. This is the first time Babesia bovis infection has been identified in Maharashtra state of India using PCR.
2. Cattle and Buffalos both infected with Theileria orientalis has been detected first time apart from Theileria annulata in the state of Maharashtra.
3. Native breeds of Maharashtra found to be resistant towards TBP carrier infections.
4. Crossbreeds are potentially more susceptible to the consequences of TBP carrier infection than native breeds.
5. For the first time studied the microsatellite typing pattern of Theileria annulata and noted that the parasite that infects cows and buffalos are the same with same genotypes. 
6. From the results of microsatellite typing, it was also found that the buffaloes are not the carriers of Theileria annulata.
7. The microsatellite typing study also indicated that the T. annulata infecting cattle & buffaloes of Maharashtra and Tamilnadu state have same genotype.
8. Buffalo has lower level of prevalence of TBP infections and also had fewer mixed infections than that of cattle.
9. This study suggest that targeted breeding practice  of cattle by selection of both high productivity and greater resistance/tolerance to tick-borne pathogen infection should be done which might provide improved economic performance of cattle.
10. TACP protein can be explored for development of diagnostic for Theileria annulata infection in cattle.

Research Papers published

1. Kolte S. W., Larcombe S. D., Jadhao S. G., Magar S. P.,  Warthi G., Kurkure N.V., Glass E.J., Shiels B.R.(2017)     PCR diagnosis of tick-borne pathogens in Maharashtra state, India indicates fitness cost associated with carrier infections is greater for crossbreed than native cattle breeds. PLoS ONE 12(3): e0174595.  https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0174595
2. Ponnudurai. G, Larcombe S, Velusamy R, Rani N, Kolte S.W., Rubinibala B, Alagesan A, Rekha B, Shiels B. ( 2017) Prevalence of tick borne pathogens in co –grazed dairy bovines differs by region and host type in Tamil Nadu, India. Advances in dairy Research – (5):2
3. Larcombe S.D., Kolte S. W.,  Ponnudurai G.,  Kurkure N.V.,  Magar S., Velusamy R.,  Rani N., Rubinibala B., Rekha B.,   Alagesan A., Weir W.,  Shiels B .(2019) The impact of tick-borne pathogen infection in Indian bovines is determined by host type but not the genotype of Theileria annulata. Infection, Genetics and Evolution 75 : 103972 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.meegid.2019.103972
4. Sharma S, Kolte S.W., Gawande P.J., Kurkure N.V., Jadhao S.G., Panchbhai C.G. and Magar S.(2019) A comparative Study between Blood Smear, Whole Blood PCR and FTA Card PCR for Diagnosis of Theileria annulata and Theileria orientalis in Cattle. Journal of Animal Research: .9 (4) 585-588.  DOI: 10.30954/2277-940X.04.2019.14
5. Sharma S, Kolte S.W.,  Kurkure N.V., Jadhao S.G., and Magar S. (2019)  Comparative Efficiency of whole blood and FTA card for diagnosis of theileriosis in buffaloes of Nagpur region, India Int. J. Curr. Microbiol. App. Sci.  8(11): 1404-1409
6. Khatoon S.,   Kolte  S. W.  Kurkure N. V.,  Chopde N. A.,  Jahan A.(2013) Detection of tropical bovine theileriosis by polymerase chain reaction in cattle J Parasit Dis Mar; 39(1): 53–56.      DOI 10.1007/s12639-013-0270-0
7. Kolte, S.W., Gahlod, B.M., Chopde, N.A., Khatoon, S. Banubakode, S.B., and Kurkure, N.V (2013) Tropical Bovine Theileriosis in a crossbreed cow. Ind. Vet. J.  90: 101-102
8. Kolte, S.W., Kurkure, N. V., Maske, D.K., and Khatoon, S. (2013) Prevalance of Schistosoma nasale infection in bovines from eastern Vidarbha (Maharashtra) vis-à-vis infection in Indoplanorbis exustus  J. Vet. Parasitol. 26: 140-143.
9. Sabhyata Sharma & S.W.Kolte  (2018) A study on occurrence of Aspicularis tetraptera infection and mortality in mice.  Journal of Animal Research  (8)   DOI:10.30954/2277-940X.08.2018.18
10. Satyaprakash K, Khan WA, Chaudhari SP, Shinde SV, Kurkure NV, Kolte S W (2018) Pathological and molecular identification of porcine cysticercosis in Maharashtra, India. Acta Parasitol  19:63(4)

It is an important function of the department of Parasitology, through which the research observations are transferred to the owner of animals. Extension activities includes – Communication of scientific information on various parasitic diseases to the owners of animals through a media like ‘Doordarshan’, ‘Akashvani’, Newspapers, Krishi patrika, N.S.S. camp etc. in local language. The department has a unique distinction of involvement in special extension project (a) PKV in the service of farmers (b) Evolving package of practices for optimum health and production in livestock and (c) special extension programme running at adopted village regarding diagnosis and control of parasitic diseases.

Department imparts parasitic disease training to trainees of short-term certificate courses arranged by the college. The department of Parasitology has been providing various parasitic disease diagnostic services to students, field staffs, private clinicians, college hospital etc.

The Department is involved in diagnosis of haemoprotozoan diseases and other parasitic diseases of animals, and also zoonotic parasitic diseases. This facility has been extended to the field veterinarians and livestock farmers.