ADP No/Code: 46/140110

Cost of the Project: 30 Million

Duration of the Project: 3 Years (2014-2017)

Location of the Project

The Project will be implemented at Peshawar at Veterinary Research Institute, Peshawar and Veterinary Research and Disease Investigation Center (VR&DIC), Kohat. However activities of the project will be carried out throughout the province.

Objectives of the Project

•                 Establishment of Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) technique at Animal Biotechnology Section, Veterinary Research Institute, Peshawar.

•          Establishment of Enzyme Linked Immunosorbant Assay (ELISA) and staff training for strengthening of Veterinary Research and Disease Investigation Center, Kohat.

•          Strengthening of Foot and Mouth Disease Research Center in Genomic Analysis and Sequencing of Vaccine and Field viruses through establishment of basic techniques and staff training.

•          Seroprevalence of Contagious Caprine Pleuropneumonia (CCPP) in Kohat division particularly and other areas of the province generally through Molecular Techniques.

Technical Parameters of the Project

•              FMD samples will be collected from field outbreak and consequently these would be subjected to Enzyme Linked Immunosorbant Assay (ELISA) for serotyping. The positive samples will be processed for RNA extraction and amplification of DNA will be done through PCR. The DNA will be purified and will be carried abroad for sequencing.

•           PCR based molecular Laboratory would be established in animal Biotechnology section of Veterinary Research Institute, Peshawar and its staff would be trained on PCR. These established techniques would be utilized in investigating microbial and animal Genomics.

•          Enzyme Linked Immunosorbant Assay (ELISA) based laboratory will be established at Kohat veterinary research and disease investigation Kohat this laboratory facility would be used to launch seroprevalence campaign against CCPP in Kohat division. 

•           A Seminar will be arranged for awareness of Veterinarian, students and farmers regarding above mentioned activity.

Description of the Project

The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KPK) of Pakistan and adjacent Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA) shares a border with Afghanistan which increases the risk of Trans-boundary transmission of the disease. Unfortunately, a very little and dubious data regarding Genotype of the viruses circulating in the area is available for researchers.

Control of animal diseases is one of the primary objectives of government livestock departments in Pakistan. Main emphasis is given to the prevention and control of transboundary animal diseases (TADs), i.e. rinderpest, foot and mouth disease (FMD) and Peste des petites ruminants (PPR) in the country.

Veterinary diagnostic services are very important to the nation and its livestock industries. At the individual farm level, a clinical diagnosis is often not confirmed until laboratory examinations have been performed. A rapid diagnosis of the cause of sickness or death will frequently reduce further economic losses and allow the timely implementation of control and preventative measures.

In routine laboratory diagnosis involves conventional methods, such as optical microscopy, used for the morphological identification of microorganisms. However, the occasional difficulty of identifying these parasite structures may decrease the sensitivity of such methods. Currently, because of these difficulties, molecular biology has been employed to detect parasites responsible for parasitic diseases.

The PCR makes it possible to perform selective amplification from complex genomes. This technique is based on the process of denaturing a double-stranded genomic DNA template using heat. Next, the temperature is lowered to ensure that primers can anneal to their complementary sequences into the template. Thus, the elongated DNA template follows in both directions from the primer site by means of enzymatic catalysis with a thermostable DNA polymerase, generating double-stranded products.

Furthermore, Veterinary research institute have Center of Animal Biotechnology which needs to be strengthened with modern molecular techniques including PCR which will help in accurate disease diagnosis, pregnancy diagnosis and marker assisted selection for future breeding. We don’t have yet established advance technique like ELISA, PCR, and gene sequencing facilities for research and diagnosis of diseases to sort out the false positive or negative samples. With the present project we will be able to established molecular based PCR technique. This technique has the capability to detect accurately and specifically the causative organism in the sample (even a segment of bacterial genome, if present in the sample) at any stage of the disease to rule out the possibility of false positive or negative samples. This technique is more rapid, sensitive and less laborious as compared to the culture and equivalent in efficacy.

Benefits of the Project

          Financial Benefits

The project proposal have enough potential for disseminating direct and indirect benefits to the farmer’s community in shape of specific, and rapid diagnostic service. Good quality animal products will positively affect the export of these products. This will indirectly increase export’s income.

Social Benefits

                             i.               The project will result in the standardization of molecular diagnostic technique with in the province for brucellosis

                           ii.               Research facility for the students, scholars, and scientists with in their home province.

                         iii.               Creation of awareness among the stakeholder through publication of research articles, workshop, and seminars and this awareness will sensitize the masses to cooperate in future program of controlling and eradication of disease from the communities.

                          iv.               Understanding the pattern and magnitude of the disease will be helpful for future planning of disease control and removal of public health hazard.