ABSTRACT
Nearly 70% of the world’s rural poor depend on livestock as a critical component of their livelihood (640 million poor farmers in rain-fed areas, 190 million pastoralists in the arid and mountain zones, and more than 100 million people in landless households; Swarup and Patra, 2005). Prevention, control, and eradication of diseases among domesticated animals are major concerns as diseases in animals lead to economic losses and possible transmission of the causative agents to humans. Livestock are the foundation of agrarian economy, contributing about 32% of the total share from agriculture to the national gross domestic product (GDP; Swarup and Patra, 2005). Livestock rearing is considered a supplementary occupation and a source of additional income for those engaged in agricultural operations.
