Role of paravets

role of paravets in detection of animal diseases and animal husbandry services in rural areas.

1. Role of Paravets in Animal Health Management System and Use of Epidemiological Tools in Disease Monitoring and Effective Control Measures By Dr. Sharadindu Shil Veterinary Officer ABAHC, Ratanpur Govt. of West Bengal

2. Who are Paravets? T here is a strong need for efficient livestock delivery system which includes mainly animal health, breeding and other veterinary and extension services . For many years, the para-veterinary professionals have played an important role in veterinary service delivery in developing countries . This broad group of workers comprises any type of animal health worker without a university veterinary degree, who may have received training , varying from few weeks duration to few years. Paravets provide ‘minor veterinary services’ under the existing law & is not licensed to practise as a fully qualified professional. Existence is justified by the presence of problem of physical access to livestock (in terms of number and distance) and high transaction costs (especially in poor and marginalized areas) by the working veterinarians.

3. Need for paravets Privately operating quacks are often perceived as a threat to the veterinary profession. P rivatization of animal health services is necessary? The governments now acknowledge this informal service delivery system. In India, various schemes and programmes operating for delivery of livestock health services with the help of paravets. These paraprofessionals are named variously by different organizations in different regions of the country like the Paravets, Pashu Mitras , Gopal Mitras , P ranibandhu , Pranimitra, Pranisebee etc . “Minor veterinary services” is undefined- can be provided by trained personnel other than registered veterinarians.

4. Nature of Work for Paravets Clause 30b of Indian Veterinary Council Act , 1984 (No. 52 )- “ minor veterinary services ” means the delivery of primary veterinary aid like vaccination, castration, dressing of wounds and such other types of preliminary aid or the treatment of such ailments as the state government’s notification in the official gazette specifies in this behalf . V eterinary pharmacists, livestock development assistants, veterinary supervisors, stockmen , stock assistant, etc. can render “minor veterinary services” under the supervision of a Registered Veterinary Practitioner (RVP ). This does not allow paravets to do medicinal and surgical treatment of animals and seen as a form of self employment programme for educated unemployed rural youth of state, trained and registered with department of animal husbandry . VCI has proposed certain regulatory processes, standards and norms under the heading of supervision and guidance to minor veterinary practice .

5. Mandate of Work of Paravets Door step insemination of cattle and buffalo in heat. Vaccination against HS, BQ, FMD, PPR, GP, Ranikhet , FP etc. Infertility check-up of livestock in supervision of concerned veterinary officer. Pregnancy diagnosis of animals. Information to dairy farmers on various livestock issues. Working with and for breeders association. Distribution of fodder seeds and other fodders available with the department . Extension and dissemination of advanced technologies to farm front. Milk recording and herd registration. First aid and other minor timely health services. Animal welfare work. P rimary health care, castration and technology dissemination.

6. Privatization-the only way? D ue to the absence of effective government delivering livestock services in resource poor areas, innovative systems are needed. A number of alternative models have emerged to deliver the animal health services in poor areas as- community based animal health services, membership organizations; self help groups (SHGs) and so on . T here is a selection of individuals for training by communities within which they work, provide technical training in animal health for a short period of time, concentrate low cost strategies mainly on important livestock health and management issues of the farming community with community participation and principles of self help and payment for the services by the clients. The NGOs train village men and women in basic veterinary skills, who then offer their services to fellow villagers for a nominal fee .

7. Positive Impacts of Community Para Veterinary Services Serve as the missing link between the Animal Husbandry Department (AHD) and poor livestock keepers . Increase in income through livestock and increase in quality of life. Reduced mortality of young ones and adult animals. Impacts on livestock disease control and surveillance. Reduction in the occurrence of diseases. Increase in the number of artificial inseminations and calves born. Performance of female para veterinarians are less compared to that of male counterparts.

8. Factors affecting delivering livestock services by Paravets Education negatively and significantly related to role performance. The family background and role performance had negative and significant relationship with one another. P ositive relationship between the attitude of field supervisors towards dairy farming and their effective role performance. Contacts, availability and timeliness were positively and significantly associated with the job performance . Age had highly significant but negative relationship with overall beneficiary rated role performance. Experience, technical knowledge, communication in organization and use of extension methods were found to have the ability to channelize other variables which affect their role performance.

9. Certain facts Community based animal health workers are competent and comparable with that of field paravets of government veterinary services.

10. Animal Disease S ample S ending HAEMORRHAGIC SEPTICAEMIA : From sick animals fixed smears from blood and liver. Heart blood in a sterile pipette/bottle, lymph node and spleen on ice. ANTHRAX : Flame fixed blood smears of cattle and sheep. From subcutaneous swelling in horses, swine and dogs. Swabs of blood from ear vein for cultural examination from dead animals. A small piece from tip of muzzle (½x1 cm approx.) in saline or without any preservative in sterile glass test tube or bottle on ice duly sealed. It is not advisable to open the carcass suspected for anthrax in field. If opened, it should be properly disposed by burning. BLACK QUARTER : Impression smears from the affected muscle tissue; exudate from lesions; pieces of affected muscles on ice. BRUCELLOSIS : Paired serum, blood and abomasal contents of aborted foetus, placenta with 2-3 cotyledons, vaginal swabs in PBS, separate bottle on ice, whole foetus if small on ice. TUBERCULOSIS : (1 ) Cough material in sterile container from live animal, (2) Sample of milk in sterile, container (3) Suspected lesions in 10% Formal-Saline (dead animal), (4) Smears from lesions fixed by heat and (5) Lymph glands or lung lesions in sterile container for isolation in 50%buffered glycerine.

11. RINDERPEST/RINDERPEST ALLIED DISEASE/PPR/BOVINE VIRUS DIARRHOEA : (1) From live animals: About 10ml or more blood at the height of body temp, in anticoagulant, rectal swab in PBS on ice. (2) From dead animals: Prescapular lymph nodes, spleen, (20-30g) on ice and (3) lung, liver, spleen, tonsil etc. 10% formalin. Materials 20g from 5 to 6 or more animals be collected and despatched for better picture of disease/ outbreak. Eye, mouth and rectal swab in PBS on ice. Pieces of intestine on ice for PPR. FOOT AND MOUTH DISEASE : Vesicular fluid from unruptured oral vesicles and curetted epithelium from fresh lesions oesopharyngeal fluid in 50% Phosphate Buffered Glycerine preferably on ice. About 10ml blood at height of body temp. In EDTA/Heparin, Heart pieces on ice. At least 5 or more animals be investigated and material collected. Pieces of heart in calves 10% formalin and ice separately. RABIES : Half portion of brain; salivary gland in 50% Phosphate Buffered Glycerine or Glycerine Saline in water tight hard box and the rest half portion of brain in 10% formalin. Alternatively small pieces from Hippocampus and Brain (Cerebellum, medulla cerebrum, spinal cord) in 50% Buffered Glyerine and 10% formalin separately duly sealed in bottles and packed in thick polybags and hard box Labelled “Suspected for Rabies:”. Where available fresh smears from brain may be stained with Seller’s stain. POX (SHEEP, COW AND BUFFALO): Scab in sterile container on ice, scab in 50% Buffered Glycerine. Skin lesions in 10% formalin, separately.

12. RANIKHET DISEASE : Freshly dead/moribund bird on ice. Portion of liver, spleen, trachea, bronchi, lung in 50% Buffered Glycerine cerol -Saline in ice and Proventriculus in 10% Formal-Saline. MAREK’S DISEASE : Live bird in acute stage of disease Feather follicles from chest and neck in transport medium Paired serum and Portion of peripheral nerve, trachea, ovary, liver, kidney, spleen and skin in 10% formalin for histopathology. INFECTIOUS BURSAL DISEASE (GUMBORO DISEASE): Live affected chick/bird, Bursa of fabricious , kidney, spleen in 10% formalin for histopathology. INFECTIOUS BRONCHITIS/OTHER RESPIRATORY DISEASES : Swab from exudates , lung Paired sera. (For diagnosis of poultry diseases, it is desired that a few ailing/moribund/dead birds may be sent for collection of suitable material at the laboratory)

13. THEILERIOSIS : Biopsy smears from swollen lymph nodes from early stage of disease fixed with Method. Blood smears fixed in Methanol or alcohol. 2-3 blood smears from each case. BABESIOSIS : Thin blood smears from early stage of disease fixed with Methanol 2-3 blood smears. ANAPLASMOSIS : Thin blood smears from ear vein fixed with methanol. 2-3 blood smears. SURRA/TRYPANOSOMIASIS : Blood in anticoagulant on ice, Blood smears fixed. GASTRO-INTESTINAL PARASITIC DISEASES : Faecal sample in 10% formalin IN dead animals, parasites (round worms in 70% formalin) for identification. All internal organs in 10% formalin

14. Implications and Recommendations Need to streamline of livestock service delivery system on certain minimum criteria’s for better cohesive units. There is a strong need to prepare/develop other organizations also which may play crucial role in providing the diploma, trainings and refresher courses regularly to educated youth from rural area for effective and dynamic livestock delivery system by covering larger area and livestock population . Need for proper ethical monitoring of paravets services regarding curative services provided by them. E xpansion of public veterinary department along with its better liaison with other service providers mainly the paraprofessionals is the need of hour . Technical knowledge of para-veterinary professionals was found to be at lower level, thus the efforts are needed to improve same. There is a strong need to have a body to evaluate the working performance of para-veterinary professionals.

15. http:// www.nadrs.gov.in/SitePages/Home_NADRS.aspx . http:// www.nivedi.res.in/index.php http:// epitools.ausvet.com.au/content.php?page=ProbabilityOfInfection

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