STUDY ON CALF MORBIDITY AND MORTALITY UNDER SMALL HOLDER’S DAIRY FARM CONDITION WITH SPECIAL EMPHASIS TO BACTERIAL INFECTION AND ANTIBIOTIC SENSITIVITY

Abstract

The study on calf morbidity and mortality of small holder's dairy farm condition and its bacteriological investigation is undertaken of calves up to 6 months of age maintained at the 200 farms of Rangpur sadar upazila during one year period from September 2010 to August 2011. Out of 792 cross breed and local calves examined, 462 (58.33%) were found to be morbid, of which 171 (21.59%) cases died and 291 (36.74%) calves recovered with appropriate therapeutic management. The mortality rate was found to be highest in Local x Friesian (29.15%), followed by mixed crosses (24.26%), Local x Sahiwal (17.07), Local x Jersey (16.67) and lowest in local calves (07.02%). Male calves (22.62%) showed higher rate of mortality than female calves (20.43%). Both the morbidity (66.03%) and mortality (27.72%) rates in calves between 0 to 30 days old were found to be significantly (P<0.01) higher in comparison to the aged between 31 to 90 days (morbidity 52.27% and mortality 16.48%) and aged between 91 to 180 days (morbidity 48.61% and mortality 15.28%). Thus higher calf mortality rate occurred during the first month and decrease in mortality rate with the increase in age. Although the morbidity rate was found to be significantly (p < 0.01) higher during rainy (81.09%) season in comparison to winter (56.09%) and summer (45.23%) seasons but the mortality rate was found higher during summer (21.07%), followed by winter (18.84%) and lowest during rainy (14.39%) seasons. Twenty types of diseases and disorders were diagnosed on clinical examination which was associated with 58.33% morbidity rate of calves but the necropsy and laboratory examinations detected 16 types of specific diseases and disorders which were associated with 21.59% mortality rate of calves. Bacteriological study revealed that mixed infection with E. colt, Staphylococcus spp and Bacillus sp. were associated with the bacterial pneumoenteritis in calves. Antibiotic sensitivity pattern of different bacteria isolated from various organs of calves died of pneumoenteritis revealed that isolates of Staphylococcus were found sensitive to tetracycline (33.34%), isolates of E. coli were found to 6e resistant to penicillin (100%), ampicillin (75.00%) Bacillus isolate was found to be resistant to tetracycline (100%), gentamicin (100%). The results of the antibiotic sensitivity test revealed that none of the tested antibiotic was found effective against all the bacterial agents associated with pneumoenteritis in calves. Ampicillin and gentamycin could be the drug of choice for Staphylococci, tetracycline for E. coil and penicillin and ampicillin for gram positive Bacillus sp. However, routine laboratory isolation and drug sensitivity test being impractical but periodic check, on the pattern of the drug sensitivity of the organisms would be significant; otherwise indiscriminate use of the drugs may lead to serious hazards of drug resistance.