University of Veterinary Medicine Budapest

Course description

Animal Hygiene is the branch of the veterinary science, which relying on the knowledge of physiological and ethological demands of animals, describes the preconditions of health preservation and investigates the pathophysiological changes brought about by adverse environmental effects in order to gain information on the aetiology and pathomechanism of multifactorial diseases. On this basis, animal hygiene systematise the preventive veterinary measures with special reference to their economic consequences. Animal hygiene deals primarily with herds and health protection of the herds, therefore the subject is more or less equivalent to the subject „herd health ” taught in number of the veterinary colleges of the western hemisphere.

Animal hygiene is an interdisciplinary science that lays bridge over animal husbandry and veterinary medicine. Its curriculum involves the management and nutrition technologies of farm animals. The discipline also describes the multilateral effects of housing and nutrition on the health, on the inherited behavioural characteristics of farm and companion animals, on economy of their production and on the rural environment. Based on these knowledge vet­erinary undergraduates will be trained to become able for critical analysis of housing systems and nutritional regimes, for understanding the aetiology of management related diseases prevailing at herd level, for the application of methods of herd health management in order to prevent and control of multi­factorial diseases of high economic consequences.

Beyond teaching theoretical and practical knowledge of the discipline we endeavour to implement three goals. First of all we try to form an approach by which the veterinary practitioner becomes able to analyse the production decline, abnormal behaviour and animal diseases in their complex interactions with the environment. We also intend to prepare our undergraduates for the analysis of the economic consequences of their preventive and curative meas­ures. And last but not least in harmony with other disciplines we regard important to teach our students to esteem and acknowledge the work of experts of other branch of agricultural science.

Theoretical and practical knowledge of animal hygiene is based on animal physiology, husbandry, nutrition, microbiology and immunology. At the same time it contributes to the better understanding of epizootology, state vet­erinary medicine and food inspection.

Lectures theme

Theoretical lectures in Animal Hygiene (Veterinary Preventive Medicine) and Herd-Health I (Progress diary)

(Spring, 8^th semester, from 5^th Febr. 2024. to 17^th May 2024.)

(Neptun code: ATEAH002EON)

8^th February, Dr. Könyves László

Introduction of the subject „Animal Hygiene and Herd Health”. Reqirements.

Dairy cattle farm visit. General aspects, preparation and execution. Visual herd diagnostic (scoring) methods. Examination of the feeds and ration. Evaluation of the housing and the management.

15^th February Dr. Kovács László

General principles of biosecurity in animal production. What is and why is biosecurity important? Biosecurity and disease transmission. The principles of biosecurity. The components of biosecurity.

Physical properties of building materials. Demands for walls, roof, windows and floor.

Risk reduction when building or remodeling a farm. Procedural biosecurity. Physical biosecurity. Operational biosecurity.

Biosecurity and its relationship with health, production and antimicrobial usage. Economic impact of improved biosecurity.

22^nd February Dr. Kovács László

Practical approach of cleaning and disinfection on animal production farm. How the measure biosecurity and the hygiene status of farms.

Animal hygiene aspects of transmission of pig, poultry and cattle diseases and biosecurity in pig, poultry and cattle farms.

29^th February Dr. Hejel Péter

The overall impact of emissions from livestock farming on soil, water-ecosystems and air. Reducing the pollution of livestock farming.

Classification of waste materials are generated in livestock farming, the main aspects of their treatment and disposal for sustainability of livestock production. Treatment and disposal of animal wastes. Methods and environmental aspects of the treatment of solid and liquid manure.

7^th March Dr. Hejel Péter

The effect of microclimatic conditions on the production and health of the farm animals. Energy metabolism of the organism. Thermal balance of animals. Heat exchange between organism and environment. Thermoregulation of the animals. Effect of environmental factors on energy metabolism of farm animals. Adaptation to climatic conditions

The effect of heat stress on the health and performance of farm animals. Quantification of heat stress.

14^th March Dr. Hejel Péter

Effects of aerial pollutions on production and health of farm animals. Gaseous contaminants of the stable air. Biological aerosols. Measurement methods of airborne pollutants.

21^st March Dr. Hejel Péter

Climatization of stables. Ventilation of stables. Heat supply to stables.

Measurement of the climatic surrounding. Interpretation and measurement of the physical elements of the microclimatic conditions. Technical equipments of the climatic measurements. Data processing.

Rectoral Holidays: 25^th March – 1^st April

4^th April Dr. Könyves László

Management related (sin. multifactorial) diseases of farm animals. Definitions: multifactorial diseases; germ load; facultative pathogens. Defence mechanisms. Interactions between housing-management factors and germ load. Interactions between housing-management factors and the defence mechanisms. Principles of control of the management related diseases.

11^th April Dr. Könyves László

Feed hygiene I. Hygiene of the drinking water.

Rules and good execution practice of collecting feed and water samples for laboratory analysis.

18^th April  Dr. Könyves László

Feed hygiene II. Animal hygieneic aspects of the chemical decomposition of feed components. The oxidative stress. Biogen amines. Preventive measures

Microbial contamination of feeds. Classification of feed flora, Environmental conditions of microbial gradation. Consequences of feed spoilage and preventive measures.

25^th April Dr. Hejel Péter

Precision livestock farming (PLF), as a new tool of the modern animal husbandry and herd-health management. Benefits and practical use of the automated, real time monitoring systems.

2^nd May Dr. Vass-Bognár Barbara

Feed hygiene III. Mycotoxins. General characteristics of mycotoxins. Classification of moulds. Field fungi. Fusarium toxins. Zearalenone. Trychothecenes. Fumonisins. Satratoxins.

9^th May Dr. Vass-Bognár Barbara

Feed hygiene IV. Store-house moulds. Aflatoxins, Ochratoxins, Patulin,  Citrinin,

Mycotoxin contamination of feed commodities. Relevant regulations. Defence against mycotoxin contamination.

17^th May Dr. Pribenszky Csaba

Interactions between animal and its surrounding. Research and latest results in stress concept.

Budapest, 1^st February 2024.

Dr. habil Könyves László PhD

assoc. professor, head of the department

Practical lessons theme

The attendance of the farm visit in the 8th or 9th semester is compulsory

Safety instructions for farm visits to be found among the downloadable documents.

Evaluation description

Theoretical lectures in Animal Hygiene (Veterinary Preventive Medicine) and Herd-Health I (Progress diary)

(Spring, 8^th semester, from 6^th Febr. 2023. to 18^th May 2023.)

(Neptun code: ATEAH002EON)

9^th February, Dr. Könyves László

Introduction of the subject „Animal Hygiene and Herd Health”. Reqirements.

Dairy cattle farm visit. General aspects, preparation and execution. Visual herd diagnostic (scoring) methods. Examination of the feeds and ration. Evaluation of the housing and the management.

16^th February Dr. Kovács László

General principles of biosecurity in animal production. What is and why is biosecurity important? Biosecurity and disease transmission. The principles of biosecurity. The components of biosecurity.

Physical properties of building materials. Demands for walls, roof, windows and floor.

Risk reduction when building or remodeling a farm. Procedural biosecurity. Physical biosecurity. Operational biosecurity.

Biosecurity and its relationship with health, production and antimicrobial usage. Economic impact of improved biosecurity.

23^rd February Dr. Kovács László

Practical approach of cleaning and disinfection on animal production farm. How the measure biosecurity and the hygiene status of farms.

Animal hygiene aspects of transmission of pig, poultry and cattle diseases and biosecurity in pig, poultry and cattle farms.

2^nd March Dr. Hejel Péter

The overall impact of emissions from livestock farming on soil, water-ecosystems and air. Reducing the pollution of livestock farming.

Classification of waste materials are generated in livestock farming, the main aspects of their treatment and disposal for sustainability of livestock production. Treatment and disposal of animal wastes. Methods and environmental aspects of the treatment of solid and liquid manure.

9^th March Dr. Hejel Péter

The effect of microclimatic conditions on the production and health of the farm animals. Energy metabolism of the organism. Thermal balance of animals. Heat exchange between organism and environment. Thermoregulation of the animals. Effect of environmental factors on energy metabolism of farm animals. Adaptation to climatic conditions

The effect of heat stress on the health and performance of farm animals. Quantification of heat stress.

16^th March Dr. Hejel Péter

Effects of aerial pollutions on production and health of farm animals. Gaseous contaminants of the stable air. Biological aerosols. Measurement methods of airborne pollutants.

23 ^rd March Dr. Hejel Péter

Climatization of stables. Ventilation of stables. Heat supply to stables.

Measurement of the climatic surrounding. Interpretation and measurement of the physical elements of the microclimatic conditions. Technical equipments of the climatic measurements. Data processing.

30^th March Dr. Hejel Péter

Precision livestock farming (PLF), as a new tool of the modern animal husbandry and herd-health management. Benefits and practical use of the automated, real time monitoring systems.

Rectoral Holidays: 3^rd April – 10^th April

13^th April Dr. Könyves László

Management related (sin. multifactorial) diseases of farm animals. Definitions: multifactorial diseases; germ load; facultative pathogens. Defence mechanisms. Interactions between housing-management factors and germ load. Interactions between housing-management factors and the defence mechanisms. Principles of control of the management related diseases.

20^th April  Dr. Könyves László

Feed hygiene I. Hygiene of the drinking water.

Rules and good execution practice of collecting feed and water samples for analysis.

27^th April Dr. Könyves László

Feed hygiene II. Animal hygieneic aspects of the chemical decomposition of feed components. The oxidative stress. Biogen amines. Preventive measures

Microbial contamination of feeds. Classification of feed flora, Environmental conditions of microbial gradation. Consequences of feed spoilage and preventive measures.

4^th May Dr. Vass-Bognár Barbara

Feed hygiene III. Mycotoxins. General characteristics of mycotoxins. Classification of moulds. Field fungi. Fusarium toxins. Zearalenone. Trychothecenes. Fumonisins. Satratoxins.

11^th May Dr. Vass-Bognár Barbara

Feed hygiene IV. Store-house moulds. Aflatoxins, Ochratoxins, Patulin,  Citrinin,

Mycotoxin contamination of feed commodities. Relevant regulations. Defence against mycotoxin contamination.

18^th May Dr. Pribenszky Csaba

Interactions between animal and its surrounding. Research and latest results in stress concept.

Budapest, 1^st February 2023.

Dr. habil Könyves László PhD

assoc. professor, head of the department

Exam information