FINAL REPORT, 211D GRANT, GRANT TITLE : EXPANDING COMPETENCE IN THE DESIGN AND EXECUTION OF LIVESTOCK DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMS IN THE TROPICS, EMPHASIZING RUMINANT LIVESTOCK PRODUCTION SYSTEMS THROUGH IMPROVED BREEDING AND DISEASE CONTROL

A WELL-STOCKED TROPICAL ANIMAL MEDICINE LIBRARY HAS BEEN DEVELOPED. STUDY SETS ON MORE THAN 20 INFIRMITIES OF ANIMALS IN TROPICAL INVIRONMENTS HAVE BEEN PREPARED. OVER 5000 COLOR SLIDES OF DISEASES ARE ON FILE AND OVER 15,000 SCIENTIFIC ARTICLES ARE AVAILABLE ON A WIDE VARIETY OF DISEASES. AN ANTHROPOD TISSUE CULTURE LABORATORY WAS ESTABLISHED PROVIDING A CAPABILITY FOR ADAPTING CELLS OF BOOPHILUS MICROPLUS TO LABORATORY CULTIVATION. MORE THAN 100 ARTICLES AND PRESENTATIONS ON RESEARCH ACTIVITIES AT ITVM WERE PRODUCD, AND RESULTS OF HEMOPROTOZOAL RESEARCH DONE OVER A PERIOD OF 10 YEARS AT CENTRO INTERNACIONAL DE AGRICULTURA TROPICAL IN COLOMBIA, AND AT THE INSTITUTO COLOMBIANO AGROPECUARIO HAVE BEEN SUBMITTED IN THE FORM OF A 10-YEAR REPORT TO USAID. IN CONJUNCTION WITH THE ANIMAL SCIENCE DEPT, A STUDY WAS MADE OF MANAGERIAL, SOCIAL, ENVIRONMENTAL, AND DISEASE CONSTRAINTS TO EFFICIENT LIVESTOCK PRODUCTION IN GUAYANA, AND CONSULTANTSHIPS WERE PROVIDED TO NICARAGUA, COSTA RICA, PANAMA, TRINIDAD, BRAZIL, PERU, ECUADOR, AUSTRALIA, AND THE DOMINICAN REPUBLIC. ALSO, A CONSIDERABLE NUMBER OF GRADUATES WERE TRAINED AT THE MS AND PHD LEVELS. 2 ON-CAMPUS CONFERENCES ON "FOREIGN ANIMAL DISEASES" WERE SPONSORED FEATURING SPEAKERS FROM VARIOUS PARTS OF THE US. ONE CONFERENCE ATTRACTED SEVERAL HUNDRED VETERINARIANS AND VETERINARY STUDENTS. IN THE TERMINAL STAGES OF THE GRANT, ITVM RECEIVED NUMEROUS REQUESTS FOR ASSISTANCE IN SUPPRESSING OUTBREAKS OF HEMOPROTOZOAL DISEASES AND IN DESIGNING LONG-RANGE PROGRAMS OF ANIMAL HEALTH TAILORED TO SPECIFIC NEEDS OF THE REQUESTING COUNTRY. HOWEVER, LACK OF FINANCIAL SUPPORT TO LAUNCH THE NEEDED PROGRAMS HAS BEEN A MOJOR IMPEDIMENT