Photosensitization and its management in Livestock.

Photosensitivity is a condition in which animal becomes hyper-reactive to sunlight irradiation. Photosensitization disease can cause production-reproduction losses and animal welfare losses worldwide, resulting in to great economic losses to farmers. Animals in countries like India and other South Asian countries which fall on or near the equator are very much prone to photosensitization. Photosensitization majorly affects the skin, hair and eye of the animals. Animals with pigmented skin are less likely to be affected by photosensitization. Young, sick, non-pigmented or hairless animals are more prone to dermal photosensitization than those are mature, healthy, pigmented or hairy. Photosensitization in a biological system such as the epidermis leads to oxidative or other chemical change in a molecule in response to light-induced excitation of endogenously or exogenously-delivered molecules within the tissue. Hence, to discuss various types of photosensitization, its pathogenesis, diagnosis, treatment protocol and probable preventive measures, this review paper is placed on record.