Department of Veterinary Public Health & Epidemiology

About the Department

Facility

• We are working “All India Network Programme on ‘One Health Approach to Zoonotic Diseases’ (AINP-OH)”, an ICAR funded project, P.I. of that is Dr. A.K. Upadhyay

1. Salmonellosis

A total of 12,210 samples from poultry, domestic animals, humans, and environmental sources in Uttarakhand and Uttar Pradesh were screened for Salmonella, of which 495 (4.05%) were positive. The predominant serotypes were S. Typhimurium (43.95%), S. Enteritidis (24.84%), and S. Kentucky (16.99%), followed by S. Virchow (3.92%), S. Infantis (2.94%), S. Pullorum (1.31%), and S. Weltevreden (0.65%). The highest prevalence among locations was recorded in Lalkuan (19.75%), followed by Pantnagar (15.60%), Rudrapur (10.87%), Haldwani (2.13%), and Kiccha (0.88%). Among hosts, poultry showed the highest prevalence (4.34%), followed by humans (3.98%), cattle (2.69%), goats (2.21%), and pigs (1.69%). In poultry, prevalence was highest in layers (5.72%), while in cattle and goats it was higher among adults. Young humans showed higher prevalence (4.69%) than adults (3.55%). In pigs, prevalence was 1.31% in piglets, 1.83% in adults, and 5.78% in pork. Among sample types, the highest occurrence was recorded in chicken meat (19.69%), followed by knife swabs (16.06%), drinking water (14.96%), utensils (14.46%), and poultry litter (14.17%). These findings highlight the widespread distribution of Salmonella and emphasize the need for integrated One Health surveillance, improved biosecurity, sanitation, and hygienic food handling practices.

2. Campylobacteriosis

A total of 10,966 poultry and environmental samples were collected from different locations of Uttarakhand, Uttar Pradesh, and other parts of India for the isolation of Campylobacter. Based on biochemical and molecular analysis, 814 samples were found positive, giving an overall prevalence of 7.42%. Among the isolates, two thermophilic species, C. jejuni (60%) and C. coli (40%), were identified, while C. lari and C. upsaliensis were not detected. Location-wise, the highest prevalence in poultry samples was recorded in Pantnagar (12.05%), followed by Haldwani (7.76%), Bareilly (7.32%), and other parts of India (3.64%). Among different food samples, the occurrence of Campylobacter was highest in poultry caeca (11.57%), followed by chicken meat (8.57%), chevon (7.60%), carabeef (1.36%), pork (0.78%), and fish meat (0.04%). Among excreta samples, positivity was recorded in poultry droppings (6.56%), cattle faeces (4.92%), calf faeces (5.00%), human stools (2.76%), and pig faeces (2.69%). In humans, age-wise analysis revealed a considerably higher prevalence among young individuals aged 0–15 years (9.76%) compared with adults (3.13%). Overall, the findings demonstrate the widespread occurrence of Campylobacter, particularly C. jejuni and C. coli, highlighting the importance of integrated One Health surveillance, hygienic food handling, and improved sanitation and biosecurity measures.

3. Brucellosis

Over the last three decades, the prevalence of brucellosis has shown an increasing trend, indicating its continuing importance as a major livestock and zoonotic disease. The disease was found to be more prevalent in organized farms compared with rural farming systems, suggesting that herd size, animal density, management practices, and movement of animals may influence disease transmission. Among the diagnostic methods evaluated, the Rose Bengal Test (RBT) and Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay (ELISA) were found to be efficient and useful for screening serum samples for brucellosis. A higher prevalence was observed among female animals, highlighting their particular epidemiological significance, especially because of the reproductive complications associated with the disease. In addition to surveillance and diagnosis, efforts are being directed towards developing improved preventive strategies. Brucella cell membrane proteins are being explored as potential vaccine candidates because of their ability to stimulate an immune response and their potential application in the development of safer and more effective vaccines. Overall, the findings emphasize the need for sustained surveillance, early diagnosis, improved farm-level biosecurity, reproductive health management, and effective vaccination strategies to reduce the burden of brucellosis in livestock and minimize its zoonotic risk to humans.

4. Cysticercosis

A comprehensive epidemiological survey of porcine cysticercosis was conducted across all 13 districts of Uttarakhand, encompassing diverse agro-climatic regions from the high hills to the Tarai. The overall prevalence was estimated at 2–3%, with the highest prevalence (3%) recorded in the Tarai region, representing a substantial decline compared to 12.99% overall prevalence and 18.61% prevalence in the Tarai during 2024–25. This significant reduction highlights the effectiveness of targeted surveillance, intervention, and disease control measures implemented under the All-India Network Programme on One Health Approach to Zoonotic Diseases (AINP-OHZD). In addition, an Indian isolate of Taeniasolium cyst recovered from a pig was successfully molecularly characterized using mitochondrial cytochrome c oxidase subunit 1 (cox-1) and 28S rDNA gene sequencing. Species-specific PCR amplicons exhibited approximately 99–100% sequence homology with reference T. solium sequences, confirming accurate molecular identification and providing robust genetic evidence for the circulating parasite strain in the region.