Evaluation of Prevalence of the Most Important Bacterial and Protozoal Causes of Calf Diarrhea in Shahrekord Suburb Dairy Husbandries

Diarrhea syndrome is associated with irrecoverable damages in the husbandry industry worldwide due to losses resulted from fatality, weight loss, growing weak calves and treatment costs. Hence, investigation of diarrhea causes in different areas is important to attempt management strategies to prevent and control it.

Present study was carried to investigate prevalence of some important entropathogens in diarrheic calves until three months old, in Shahrekord suburb husbandries.

Fecal samples were taken from 82 female calves in first day of diarrhea and were examined for isolation of salmonella, Escherichia coli, clostridium, cryptosporidium, and coccidia through common microbiological and parasitological methods.

In general, prevalence of isolated organisms were: salmonella 36.6%, Escherichia coli 24.4%, clostridium 9.8%, cryptosporidium 9.8%, and coccidian 7.31%, and Escherichia coli K99 were isolated from four calves. The most prevalent pathogens were Escherichia coli and Salmonella.

The calves are unavoidably exposed to infectious causes of diarrhea during their whole lifespan, because they acquire organisms from environment immediately after birth. Therefore, attempts at efficient management methods, hygienic principles and receiving enough colostrum, particularly in cold seasons, may be efficient in the control, prevention and decrease of diarrhea and its subsequent losses.