Somnath Aryal is currently studying at the Agriculture and Forestry University in Chitwan, Nepal.

The selected project will examine canine tick-borne diseases in Nepal. 

The World Small Animal Veterinary Association (WSAVA) has announced the inaugural recipient of its Michael J. Day Scholarship.

Somnath Aryal, a Nepalese veterinary student and past president of the International Veterinary Students' Association Nepal, received the honour for his project to examine canine tick-borne diseases.

He will receive a grant of $15,000 USD to pursue his study, which aims to enhance the diagnosis and treatment of canine tick-borne illness in the South Asian country. 

The WSAVA Michael J. Day Scholarship provides financial support so that the chosen scholar can research a topic related to infectious disease in small companion animals, clinical vaccination or immunology. 

It was established to recognise Emeritus Professor Michael Day, chair of the WSAVA's Vaccination Guidelines Group (VGG) from 2009, and his contribution to vaccinology and immunology in companion animals.

Somnath Aryal, from the Agriculture and Forestry University in Chitwan, Nepal, said: “It is an honor and a huge responsibility to be selected as the inaugural recipient of the WSAVA Michael J. Day Scholarship.

“Most cases of canine tick-borne infections in Nepalese veterinary clinics are misdiagnosed because of a lack of epidemiological information and adequate diagnostic tools. This study will investigate the prevalence of the major tick-borne diseases in stray and pet dogs in Nepal in order to fill this gap.

“It will be one of the first attempts to survey the canine tick-borne disease at the species level and data from the project will then help to increase the diagnostic and treatment facility for canine tick-borne disease in the veterinary clinics of Nepal.” 

VGG chair Dr Richard Squires added: “We were delighted to receive so many high-quality submissions in this first year of the Scholarship. 

"It made selecting our inaugural Scholar very difficult but our expert panel was particularly impressed by Somnath Aryal’s project and felt that supporting it would enable the WSAVA to play an important role in enabling an excellent, well-conceived, pertinent research project in a country which would really benefit from this funding.” 

The clinical results from Somnath's study are expected to be published towards the end of 2023.

Image (C) WSAVA.