DEPARTMENT OF VETERINARY PUBLIC HEALTH & EPIDEMIOLOGY
Bihar Veterinary College, Bihar Animal Sciences University, Patna
About the Department
The Department of Veterinary Public Health & Epidemiology is an integral academic department of Bihar Veterinary College, Patna.
The department is engaged in teaching, research and extension activities related to veterinary public health, epidemiology, zoonotic diseases, food safety and One Health.
Veterinary Public Health plays an important role in protecting human health through prevention and control of diseases transmissible between animals and humans and through promotion of safe animal-origin foods.
The department provides academic and practical knowledge to undergraduate and postgraduate students in the areas of epidemiology, zoonoses, food safety, disease surveillance and One Health.
Academic Focus: Veterinary Public Health, Epidemiology, Zoonotic Diseases, Food Safety, Food Hygiene, Disease Surveillance and One Health.
Faculty Members
Facilities
Molecular Laboratory
PCR, Gel Documentation, Electrophoresis, Refrigerated Centrifuge, ELISA Reader, Shaker Incubator etc.
Undergraduate Laboratory
Laboratory facilities equipped with audio-visual teaching aids.
Biosafety Facility
Biosafety Cabinet – Level II facility for laboratory work.
Data Processing & Programming Unit
Dedicated computer facility with internet connectivity for demonstration of epidemiological tools.
Academic Activities
U.G. Courses (As per VCI)
| Sl. No. | Course Title / Course No. | Credit Hrs. | Semester / Professional Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Environment and Environmental Hygiene | 2+1 | IX Semester |
| 2 |
Veterinary Public Health & Epidemiology
UNIT-1: Veterinary Public Health and Food Safety UNIT-2: Veterinary Epidemiology UNIT-3: Zoonotic Diseases UNIT-4: Environmental Hygiene |
3+1 | 3rd Professional Year |
M.V.Sc. Courses (As per ICAR)
| Sl. No. | Course Title / Course No. | Credit Hrs. |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Elements of Veterinary Public Health | 1+1 |
| 2 | Bacterial and Rickettsial Agents of Public Health Significance | 2+1 |
| 3 | Viral, Fungal and Parasitic Agents of Public Health Significance | 2+1 |
| 4 | Zoonoses and Public Health | 2+1 |
| 5 | Principles of Food Hygiene and Safety | 2+1 |
| 6 | Food-borne Infections and Intoxications | 2+1 |
| 7 | Meat and Milk Hygiene | 2+1 |
| 8 | Environmental Pollution and Safety | 3+1 |
| 9 | Fish, Fish Products and Seafood Hygiene | 1+1 |
| 10 | Bioterrorism and Disaster Management | 1+1 |
| 11 | Master’s Seminar | 1+0 |
| 12 | Master’s Research | 20 |
Ph.D. Courses (As per ICAR)
| Sl. No. | Course Title / Course No. | Credit Hrs. |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Current Topics in Veterinary Public Health | 2+1 |
| 2 | Emerging and Re-emerging Zoonoses | 2+1 |
| 3 | Quality Control of Animal Food Products | 2+1 |
| 4 | Occupational Health Hazards | 2+1 |
| 5 | Disposal and Recycling of Waste | 2+1 |
| 6 | Biohazards, Biosecurity and Disaster Management | 2+0 |
| 7 | Food Plant Sanitation | 2+1 |
| 8 | Advances in Environmental Pollution Control | 2+1 |
| 9 | Special Problem | 0+2 |
| 10 | Doctoral Seminar I | 1+0 |
| 11 | Doctoral Seminar II | 1+0 |
| 12 | Doctoral Research | 45 |
Research Activities
Completed Research Projects
| Sl. No. | Title of the Project | Duration | Funding Agency | PI / Co-PI |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Monitoring of microbiological quality of foods of animal origin with reference to E. coli and Salmonella | 2010–2013 | RAU PUSA | PI – Dr. P. Kaushik |
Ongoing Research Projects
| Sl. No. | Title of the Project | Year of Start | Funding Agency | PI / Co-PI |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | AICRP on Animal Disease Monitoring and Surveillance | 2015 | ICAR |
Dr. Pankaj Kumar – PI Dr. P. Kaushik – Co-PI |
| 2 | Outreach Programme of Zoonotic Diseases | 2017 | ICAR |
Dr. Pradip Ray – PI (RCER-ICAR) Dr. P. Kaushik – Co-PI |
| 3 | Isolation and Characterization of Bacteriophage Targeting Food Borne Pathogens from Sewage Samples of Livestock Farm | 2019 | BASU |
Dr. Anjay – PI Dr. P. Kaushik – Co-PI |
| 4 | Indian Network of Fisheries and Animal Antimicrobial Resistance (INFAAR) | 2020 | ICAR |
Dr. P. Kaushik – PI Dr. Anjay – Co-PI |
Major Research Areas
One Health
Integrated approaches connecting animal, human and environmental health.
Zoonotic Diseases
Research on prevention, surveillance and control of zoonotic diseases.
Food Safety
Microbiological quality, food hygiene and food-borne disease investigations.
Epidemiology
Disease surveillance, epidemiological investigation and data analysis.
Environmental Hygiene
Environmental sanitation, pollution, safety and public health.
Molecular Diagnostics
Molecular laboratory approaches for detection and characterization of pathogens.
Antimicrobial Resistance
Research and surveillance related to antimicrobial resistance.
Food-borne Pathogens
Investigation of important bacterial and other food-borne pathogens.