Dr. Rachael Mwenda
Head of Department
The department is responsible for teaching 3rd and 4th year undergraduate Veterinary students in the main course areas of Pathology, Microbiology and Parasitology as well as the One Health Laboratory Diagnostic programme at postgraduate level. In addition to teaching, the department also provides diagnostic services to the general public in the fields of pathology, microbiology, and parasitology.
The Department hosts the aquaculture research facility that has so far hosted many postgraduate students and other trainings like the ministry of livestock capacity building. This facility also provides public services for the diagnosis of various aquaculture diseases.
The department also hosts the Cysticercosis Working Group in Eastern and Southern Africa (CWGESA) regional reference laboratory in the immunodiagnostics of Taenia solium infections (Taeniasis and cysticercosis), which was designated in 2003. Since then, the laboratory receives from time-to-time samples for analysis from Universities and Research institutions from the member countries. In addition, it also hosts the regional WHO reference laboratory for Epizootic Ulcerative Syndrome (EUS) and continues to receive local and regional fish samples for diagnosis.
The Department of Paraclinical Studies is responsible for 3rd and 4th year pre-clinical Bachelor of Veterinary Medicine students. The following undergraduate courses are offered in the department:
- VMP 3100 – Veterinary Pathology
- VMP 3300 – Veterinary Microbiology and Immunology
- VMP 3400 – Veterinary Parasitology
- VMP 4111 - Pathology of Infectious and Non-infectious Veterinary Diseases