Epidemiology, clinico - pathology, therapeutic and techno economic aspects of bovine calf scour

Scour in young bovine calves is one of the main factors causing variable morbidity and mortality in subtropical countries like India. The present study was carried out from 1 June, 2008 to 31 May, 2009 in the five villages of Anand district, which embodies results of endeavours directed towards development of rural calf health surveillance system for generation of data through epidemiological surveillance in cattle and buffalo calves up to three months of age, to investigate clinico pathological changes and therapeutic regimes with a view to correlate prevalence rate, prognosis and early diagnosis so that proper control measures can be taken up viewing economic losses due to calf scour. 963 calves comprised of 286 cattle calves and 677 buffalo calves were taken up for present study.Out of total 286 cattle calves, 122 (42.65 %) were found positive for calf scours in which 49 (38.58 %) calves were of field level farm (B group) and 73 (45.91 %) calves were of farmer’s doorstep (C group). The overall mortality and case fatality rate in group B and group C of cattle calves was 6.30 %, 16.33 % and 8.18 %, 17.81 % respectively. Out of total 677 buffalo calves, 314 (46.38 %) calves were found positive for calf scours in which 100 (47.84 %) calves were of field level farm (B group) and 214 (46.63 %) calves were of farmer’s doorstep (C group). The overall mortality and case Name of Student Major Advisor VAGH ARSHI ARJANBHAI Dr. R. G. JANI fatality rate in group B and group C of buffalo calves was 14.83 %, 31 % and 17.74 %, 38.79 % respectively. In cattle calves of groups B and C, high prevalence rate was found in cross breed (40.35 % and 58.04 %), in the age group of 0-15 days (56.41 % and 57.63 %), of male cattle calves (58.49 % and 79.03 %), with poor body condition (78.57 % and 52.87 %), which were husbanded with poor hygiene (82.14 % and 56.86 %), in Kachha housing system (55.17 % and 51.76 %), by landless labourers (60.00 % only in group C). The prevalence was higher in first parity (63.16 % and 68.00 %) of dams and in those calves which were not fed enough of colostrum in group B (56.10 %) and not fed colostrum after their birth in group C (55.17 %) and in calves which were fed colostrum 24 hours after birth (57.14 % and 56.67 %) especially during monsoon season (46.55 % and 61.64%). In buffalo calves of groups B and C, high prevalence rate was found in cross breed (53.85 %) and Surti calves (60.56 %) respectively, in the age group of 0-15 days (64.89 % and 58.59 %), of male cattle calves (75.64 % and 68.24 %), with poor body condition (72.84 % and 55.17 %), which were husbanded with poor hygiene (79.63 % and 66.67 %), in Kachha housing system (55.17 % and 51.76 %), by landless labourers (53.55 % only in group C). The prevalence was higher in first parity (77.42 % and 76.06 %) of dams and in those calves which were not fed enough of colostrum (63.89 % and 52.54 %) and in calves which were fed colostrum 24 hours after birth (66.67 % and 70.83%) especially during monsoon season (58.89 % and 52.05 61.64 %). The calves suffering from scours expressed anorexia, blood or mucus tinged foul smelling diarrhea, dehydration, debilitated, subnormal body temperature and recumbency. Some of the diarrheic calves also showed mild secondary respiratory symptoms. Haematobiochemical study indicated significant (P<0.05) decrease in total erythrocytes count and increase in haemoglobin and packed cell volume with