Chair of Veterinary Biomedicine and Food Hygiene

The Chair of Veterinary Biomedicine and Food Hygiene is responsible for the basic veterinary sciences, forming the foundation of evidence-based Veterinary medicine, as well as for the important domains of veterinary public health and "One Health."
The Chair’s research laboratories are equipped with modern equipment for studies in morphology, microbiology, molecular biology and chromatography.

Teaching

The Chair is responsible for the teaching of key basic veterinary sciences to veterinary students:

morphology, physiology, and immunology of healthy and diseased animals, cell- and developmental biology
microbiology, virology, parasitology, and epidemiology

In addition to the basic sciences, the Chair is responsible for the development of certain clinical disciplines and population medicine:

infectious diseases of animals and poultry, and diseases of bees
animal health and preventive veterinary medicine
necropsy, state veterinary medicine, veterinary forensics, veterinary public health, and "One Health"

The Food Hygiene and Safety Unit is responsible for:

food hygiene and safety, meat inspection, and food safety management systems
food and environmental toxicology

The Chair is responsible for teaching domestic animal morphology, microbiology, and the fundamentals of animal health as part of the animal husbandry specialisation.

Subjects

Code	Subjects	Lecturer(s)	Credits (ECTS)	Note
VL.1268	Introduction to veterinary studies*	Dagni-Alice Viidu, Mati Roasto, Aleksandr Semjonov, Külli Kõrgesaar, Kristi Praakle, Piret Aus, Andres Reilent, Karoli Kõiv	2	Veterinary Medicine	VM1
VL.1278	Anatomy of domestic animals I*	Kaari Reimus, Esta Nahkur	5	Veterinary Medicine	VM1
VL.1279	Anatomy of domestic animals II*	Kaari Reimus, Esta Nahkur	5	Veterinary Medicine	VM1
VL.0260	Anatomy of domestic animals III*	Kaari Reimus, Esta Nahkur	4	Veterinary Medicine	VM2
VL.1372	Animal physiology I*	Tarmo Niine, Andres Valdmann, Ülle Jaakma, Kätlin Leisson, Marilin Ivask	5	Veterinary Medicine	VM1
VL.1296	Animal physiology II*	Tarmo Niine, Paul Fridtjof Mõtsküla, Ülle Jaakma, Triin Tintse, Kätlin Leisson, Anni Viljaste-Seera, Marilin Ivask, Kristin Tõnise	4	Veterinary Medicine	VM2
VL.1293	Cytology, embryology and histology I*	Piret Hussar, Aimar Namm	4	Veterinary Medicine	VM1
VL.1294	Cytology, embryology and histology II*	Piret Hussar, Aimar Namm	4	Veterinary Medicine	VM1
VL.1373	General microbiology*	Kristi Praakle	3	Veterinary Medicine	VM1
VL.0983	Special microbiology*	Kristi Praakle	3	Veterinary Medicine	VM2
VL.0984	Virology**	Dulmini Nanayakkara Sapugahawatte	4	Veterinary Medicine	VM2
VL.1345	Veterinary immunology*	Tarmo Niine	4	Veterinary Medicine	VM2
VL.0142	Veterinary mental health and self-care*	Piret Evert, Maria Urbel, Kristi Praakle	2	Veterinary Medicine	VM2
VL.0135	Animal hygiene*	Andres Aland, Allan Kaasik	5	Veterinary Medicine	VM2
VL.1263	Pathological morphology I*	Tõnu Järveots	4	Veterinary Medicine	VM2
VL.0508	Veterinary epidemiology*	Arvo Viltrop, Dagni-Alice Viidu	4	Veterinary Medicine	VM2
VL.0335	General pathology (pathological physiology)*	Kristel Peetsalu, Toomas Tiirats	6	Veterinary Medicine	VM2
VL.1280	Animal infectious diseases I*	Julia Jeremejeva	3	Veterinary Medicine	VM3
VL.1281	Animal infectious diseases II*	Julia Jeremejeva	3	Veterinary Medicine	VM3
VL.0121	Parasitology and parasitic diseases*	Maarja Tagel, Valentina Oborina, Lea Tummeleht, Lidiia Moskalenko, Liina Laaneoja, Liisi Kulasalu	5	Veterinary Medicine	VM3
VL.1301	Poultry diseases*	Kädi Neare	3	Veterinary Medicine	VM3
VL.1264	Pathological morphology II*	Tõnu Järveots	3	Veterinary Medicine	VM3
VL.1265	Pathological morphology and necropsy*	Tõnu Järveots	1,5	loomVeterinary Medicine	VM3, VM4
VL.0177	Organization of veterinary services and veterinary legislation*	Dagni-Alice Viidu, Arvo Viltrop	2	Veterinary Medicine	VM5
VL.1295	Forensic veterinary medicine*	Kaari Reimus	1	Veterinary Medicine	VM5
VL.0828	Practical training in veterinary surveillance*	Dagni-Alice Viidu (vastutav), Arvo Viltrop	2	Veterinary Medicine	VM5
VL.0132	Morphology of domestic animals	Aimar Namm	3	Animal Science	LK1
VL.0065	Basics of animal physiology	Kätlin Leisson	4	Animal Science	LK1
VL.1358	Microbiology and immunology	Kristi Praakle	4	Animal Science	LK1
VL.0139	Animal hygiene and basics of veterinary medicine	Allan Kaasik, Peep Piirsalu, Toomas Orro, Birgit Aasmäe, Julia Jeremejeva, Kädi Neare, Maarja Tagel, Vallo Seera	5	Animal Science	LK2
VL.0125	Diseases of bees**	Arvi Raie	2	Veterinary Medicine	Elective group
VL.0319	Sports physiology and doping**	Kätlin Leisson	2	Veterinary Medicine	Elective group

*The course is held in both Estonian and English.

**Course in English.

Title	Duration	Project leader	Funder
Analysis of the volatile organic compounds emitted by extracellular vesicles for disease diagnosis	01.11.2022–31.10.2026	Radu Ionescu	European Commission
Enhanced and cost-effective biosecurity in livestock production	01.01.2023–31.12.2026	Arvo Viltrop	European Commission
Preventing zoonoses by screening Avian Influenza Virus (AIV) in wildlife birds and poultry using a novel rapid point of care system	01.04.2023–30.09.2026	Arvo Viltrop	Ministry of Regional Affairs and Agriculture
Development of a practical data management system with embedded sensors for improved environmental management and transparency of dairy farming	01.04.2023–30.04.2026	Eugen Kokin	Ministry of Regional Affairs and Agriculture
Volatolomic approaches for improving success rates in assisted reproductive technology	01.10.2023–30.09.2027	Radu Ionescu	European Commission
Study of the volatile organic compounds emitted by embryos for improving the pregnancy rates in assisted reproduction	01.01.2024–31.12.2028	Radu Ionescu	Estonian Research Council
Pandemic Information to Support Rapid Response	01.01.2024–31.12.2028	Arvo Viltrop	European Commission
Setting up a coordinated surveillance under the One Health approach	01.01.2024–31.12.2026	Arvo Viltrop	European Commission
Glass and sand nanocomposites investigations toward water and soil remediation	01.01.2024–31.12.2028	Erwan Yann Rauwel	Estonian Research Council
Development of nano-additives to optimize jet fuel combustion and reduce carbon footprint	01.03.2024–31.12.2028	Erwan Yann Rauwel	Estonian Research Council
Metagenomic Characterization of Calf Respiratory Tract Microbiome, Development and Long-term Effects	01.01.2024–31.12.2028	Kerli Mõtus	Estonian Research Council
Safety and quality of high-risk plant-based foods and meat alternatives	01.09.2024–29.02.2028	Mati Roasto	Estonian Research Council
An application of metabolomics to the detection of anthelmintic resistance of gastrointestinal nematodes in goats	01.03.2025–31.12.2028	Kaari Reimus	Ministry of Regional Affairs and Agriculture

Topic	Student	Supervisors
Exploring the therapeutic potential of algae extracellular vesicles for Enhanced Wound Healing: characterization, mechanisms, and clinical applications	Evgeniy Brik	Alireza Fazeli Dulmini Nanayakkara Sapugahawatte
Machine Learning and Artificial Neural Networks Applications in Dairy Farming: Innovations for Improved Animal Welfare and Economic Efficiency	Rait Rand	Tarmo Niine
Biosecurity in animal production - effectiveness of measures and their implementation on farms	Andres Reilent	Arvo Viltrop
Immunolocalization of sodium-dependent glucose co-transporters in chicken kidneys	Cristin Allmang	Piret Hussar Ilmars Duritis
Birds as bio-indicators for monitoring toxic substances in Estonian environment and their health implications	Madis Leivits	Brian Lassen Tõnu Püssa
Emerging parasitic canine vector-borne diseases in Nordic-Baltic region	Valentina Oborina	Pikka Sirkku Jokelainen
Environmental factors influencing the spread of the African swine fever virus in northern temperate climates	Reet Herm	Arvo Viltrop Lea Tummeleht
Factors associated with persistence of the African Swine Fever virus in wild and domestic pig populations in temperate climates - comparing the circumstances in Estonia and Ukraine	Lidiia Moskalenko	Arvo Viltrop Kerli Mõtus
Toxoplasma gondii in farm animals in Estonia	Maarja Tagel	Pikka Sirkku Jokelainen
Molecular analysis of African Swine Fever Virus isolates in Estonia and molecular epdemiology of the disease	Annika Vilem	Arvo Viltrop Imbi Nurmoja

Name	Year	Supervisor	Oponent	Title
Age Kärssin	2024	Brian Lassen Pikka Jokelainen	Prof Karsten Nöckler	Trichinella species in wild animals in Estonia
Kristel Peetsalu	2022	Toomas Orro Lea Tummeleht	Prof Helga Sauerwein	Changes in acute-phase proteins' concentrations of neonatal ruminants in relation to colostrum and weight gain
Imbi Nurmoja	2021	Arvo Viltrop Sandra Blome Klaus Robert Depner	dr Linda Dixon	Epidemiology of African swine fever in Estonia and characterization of one virus strain
Kaari Reimus	2020	Kerli Mõtus Arvo Viltrop	Prof Marcia Endres	On-farm mortality and related risk factors in Estonian dairy and beef herds
Aimar Namm	2017	Marina Aunapuu Andres Arend	Prof Fred Sinowatz	Expression of BMP and Pax Proteins in the Central Nervous System of Human and Rat Embryos at Early Stages of Development

Animals may be submitted for necropsy on working days (Mon–Fri) from 08:00 to 16:30.
Please contact Gunnar Mölder (necropsy assistant), tel. 529 3863, in advance before sending an animal. Animals submitted for necropsy are received between 08:00 and 16:00. Small animals arriving between 08:00 and 16:00 and large animals arriving between 08:00 and 15:00 will be necropsied on the same day. Animals arriving later will be necropsied the following day from 08:00. Carcasses must be brought for necropsy as soon as possible, ideally within 1–2 days after death. Before submission and during transport, the carcass should be kept refrigerated.
Please note: Dead production animals, companion animals, and exotic species (e.g. snakes, turtles, lizards) may be submitted for necropsy.

Samples for histopathological examination may be submitted on working days (Mon–Fri) from 08:00 to 16:30 at Kreutzwaldi 62, rooms A111 or A114.
Please notify in advance by calling 5828 8956 (Dr. Ivar Blank, pathologist).
Tissues submitted for examination should be placed in 10% formalin solution (formaldehyde). Samples must be taken fresh and immediately immersed in 10% formalin. Fresh tissue samples should be delivered as soon as possible in a cool insulated container (do not freeze).

Arvo Viltrop

Tenured Professor of Veterinary Bio- and Population Medicine

Institute of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Sciences

Chair of Veterinary Biomedicine and Food Hygiene

+372 7313210

5033229

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Chair of Veterinary Biomedicine and Food Hygiene

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