LVA was established in 1936 in Kaunas. It is the only institution of higher veterinary education in Lithuania and has two faculties: Veterinary Medicine (7 departments) and Animal husbandry technology (5 departments), three study programmes: Veterinary Medicine, Animal husbandry technology and Food safety. Apart teaching activities LVA is an important institute for basic and applied veterinary research (13 scientific laboratories, working under departments) as well as continuing teaching for veterinarians.

 

As institution LVA is involved in several EU programmes: TEMPUS (PHARE), TWINNING (PHARE), 5FP (project TRICHIPORSE ended in 2004), 6FP project CEC ANIMAL SCIENCE was started in 2005. Department of Food Safety and Animal Hygiene consist of two subdivisions: Food hygiene and safety and Animal hygiene. At the Department of Food Safety and Animal Hygiene several topics and research areas are underway: Veterinary sanitation of foodstuffs, Food chemistry and technology, Food-borne pathogens and diseases, Microbiology of food products, Infectious, non-infectious and parasitic fish diseases, principles of fishery, HACCP in food industry. (Mindaugas Malakauskas)