Department of Veterinary Pathobiology

An introduction to veterinary pathology will be followed by instructions on general responses of the body systems to tissue injury which will be discussed under cytopathology, disturbances of circulation, inflammation, tissue repair and immunopathology. The course will also include instructions on disorders of cell growth, neoplasia and the nature and cause of disease. The systemic pathology component included in the course will concentrate on instructions that will deal with the aetiology, pathogenesis, morphological changes and the pathophysiology associated with diseases of the respiratory and cardiovascular systems. The laboratory classes will illustrate the gross and histological changes in topics discussed under general responses and those of the systems, and also focus on post-mortem examination of poultry and domestic animals.

In this course following topics will be discussed. General features of the immune system; innate immunity; phagocytes; complement; antigens; antigenicity; passive and active immunity; T and B lymphocytes; MHC class I and class II antigens; antigen recognition by B and T lymphocytes; structure of antibody and T-cell receptor, natural killer (NK) cells; cytokines; humoral and cellular immunity against pathogens and neoplastic cells; immune evasion by pathogens; immunodiagnosis; molecular diagnostic tools; vaccines and their uses in veterinary medicine; type of vaccines; adjuvants and vaccine failure.

The topics covered in this course includes followings; Description of the morphology and the characteristics of the microorganisms and the mechanism by which the following microbes cause diseases-staphylococci, streptococci, E. coli, klebsiella, proteus, salmonella, shigella, actinimyces, corynebacterium, eubacterium, rhodococcus, listeria, erysipelothrix, renibacterium, Bacillus anthracis, anthrocoids, campylobacter, pasturella, yersinia, aeromonas, haemophilus and brucella. Viruses as infective agents, their modes of transmission, method available for laboratory diagnosis, control and zoonotic importance.

The topics covered in this course includes followings; Description of the morphology and the characteristics of the microorganisms and the mechanism by which the following microbes cause diseases-staphylococci, streptococci, E. coli, klebsiella, proteus, salmonella, shigella, actinimyces, corynebacterium, eubacterium, rhodococcus, listeria, erysipelothrix, renibacterium, Bacillus anthracis, anthrocoids, campylobacter, pasturella, yersinia, aeromonas, haemophilus and brucella. Viruses as infective agents, their modes of transmission, method available for laboratory diagnosis, control and zoonotic importance.

The main areas covered in this course are given below; Basic taxonomy, morphology, life cycle, mode of transmission, pathogenesis, clinical signs, laboratory diagnosis, epidemiology, prevention and control of economically and zoonotic important helminths (Nematodes, Cestodes and Trematodes) of domestic animals of Sri Lanka. Nematodes: ascarids, strongyloids, stongyles, trichostrongyles, metastrongyles, enoplids, spiruroids, and filarids, Cestodes: anoplocephalids, davaineids, dilepididis, hymenolepidids, teniids, and diphyllids; Trematodes: dicrocoeliids, facioloids, paragonimids, paramphistomes and Schistosomes.

This course encompasses instructions on systemic pathology with emphasis on the aetiology, pathogenesis, morphological changes, and the pathophysiology associated with diseases of the alimentary, lymphoreticular, reproductive, locomotor and urinary systems. The course will also include instruction on dermatopathology, neuropathology and diseases affecting the eye and ear. Laboratory classes will illustrate the gross and histological changes associated with diseases included under the different body systems and also focus on postmortem examinations.

Continuation of VPB 213 MICROBIOLOGY I and this covers the following topics. Study of antinobacillus, moraxella, bordetella, mycobacteria, clostridia, anaerobic non-spore forming bacteriods, euobacterium, norcardia, dermatophytes, spirochets, mollicutes, rickettsia and coxiella. Diseases caused by arboviruses and rotaviruses, slow virus infection, pox viral infection, herpes like viral infection, vesicular lesions of the udder, iridovirus infections; swine fever, adenoviral infections, infectious canine hepatitis, egg-drop syndrome, parvoviral infections in dogs and cats; zoonotic viral diseases and a review of rickettsial, chlamydial and leptospiral infections, mycology, mycotoxicosis, fungal allergy, infective prions.

This course includes entomology, protozoology, fish and wild life parasitology and pathophysiology of parasitism Entomology: morphology, biology (development cycle, host specificity, host finding and feeding behaviour), direct and indirect pathogenic effects and control of arthropod parasites (insects, ticks and mites) of veterinary importance, Protozoology: morphology, mode of transmission, pathogenesis, clinical signs, laboratory diagnosis, epidemiology control of protozoan infections (apicomplexans, flagellates, entamoeba and ciliates); Fish and Wild life parasitology: external and internal parasites of bony fish, shell fish and wild animals, pathogenic effects and control of parasitism, Pathophysiology: effect of parasitism on protein and mineral metabolism of domestic animals.

This course will include instructions on collection, preservation and dispatch of material for laboratory investigation from diseased animals. It will also include instructions on laboratory tests used in the diagnosis of liver, kidney, muscle, small intestinal and pancreatic functions and diseases. The course will focus on interpretation of common clinical chemistry and haematological parameters used in veterinary clinical practice. The course will also include instructions on a system-based description on the pathology of diseases affecting fish and poultry. The laboratory classes will concentrate on postmortem examination in poultry and fish as well as in description of lesions in body systems associated with diseases caused by different aetiological agents.