EXPANDING COMPETENCE IN THE DESIGN AND EXECUTION OF LIVESTOCK DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMS IN THE TROPICS

THIS IS A COMPREHENSIVE FINAL REPORT PREPARED BY A&M"S INSTITUTE OF TROPICAL VETERINARY MEDICINE (ITVM). MOST OF THE ITVM STAFF ARE BILINGUAL AND HAVE HAD EXTENSIVE EXPERIENCE IN ANIMAL DISEASE RESEARCH IN AFRICA & LATIN AMERICA. PROJECT ACCOMPLISHMENTS WERE NUMEROUS: A WELL-STOCKED LIBRARY WAS DEVELOPED WHICH INCLUDES STUDY SETS ON OVER 20 INFIRMITIES OF ANIMALS IN THE TROPICS. THESE CONSIST OF COLOR TRANSPARENCIES DEPICTING GROSS FEATURES & MICROSCOPIC LESIONS,MICRO-SLIDES FOR HISTOPATHOLOGIC STUDY AND APPROPRIATE SYLLABI. OVER 5000 COLOR SLIDES OF DISEASES ARE ON FILE AND OVER 15,000 SCIENTIFIC ARTICLES ARE AVAILABLE. TWO CONFERENCES ON "FOREIGN ANIMAL DISEASES" WERE HELD ON CAMPUS. AN ANTHROPOD TISSUE CULTURE LAB WAS ESTABLISHED. OVER 100 ARTICLES & PRESENTATIONS ON VARIOUS PROJ RESEARCH ACTIVITIES WERE PRODUCED. IN CONJUNCTION WITH OTHER 211D CONSORTIUM MEMBERS (TUSKEGEE,UNIV OF FLA & PURDUE), ITVM HAS STUDIES THE MANAGERIAL,SOCIAL,ENVIRONMENTAL & DISEASE CONSTRAINTS UPON EFFICIENT LIVESTOCK PRODUCTN IN GUYANA. ITVM CONSULTANTS WERE ASSIGNED TO NICARAGUA,COSTA RICA,PANAMA,TRINIDAD,BRAZIL,PERU,ECUADOR,AUSTRAILIA & THE DOMICAN REPUBLIC. A 10-YR REPORT WAS SUBMITTED ON HEMOPROTOZOAL RESRCH CONDUCTED AT THE CENTRO INTERNACIONAL DE AGRICULTURA TROPICAL,CALI,COLOMBIA & THE INSTITUTO COLOMBIANO AGROPECUARIO IN BOGATA. ITVM RECEIVED NUMEROUS REQUESTS FROM LATIN AMERICAN COUNTRIES FOR ASSISTANCE IN SUPPRESSING OUTBREAKS OF HEMOPROTOZOAL DISEASES & IN DESIGNING LONG-RANGE PROGS OF ANIMAL HLTH. DESPITE THEIR EAGERNESS,ITVM & THE REQUESTING MINISTRIES HAVE BEEN FRUSTRATED BY LACK OF FINANCIAL SUPPORT. 3 ABSTRACTS OF INDIVIDUAL LIVESTOCK RESRCH PROJS & A LENGTHY REPORT DISCUSSING LIVESTOCK DISEASES IN GUYANA ARE ATTACHED AS APPENDICES TO THIS REPORT. ALSO A LISTING OF ITVM PUBLICATIONS FOR 1968-78 IS PROVIDED. THE LISTING CONSISTS OF 138 ENTRIES WITH A BRIEF DISCRIPTION OF EACH REFERENCED RESEARCH TOPIC.