PREVALENCE OF COLIBACILLOSIS DISEASE AND CLINICO-HAEMATO BIOCHEMICAL CHANGES IN LAMBS IN SOUTHERN PART OF RAJASTHAN.

The investigation was undertaken to study the epidemiological features and clinico-haemato-biochemical changes in colibacillosis affected lambs in and around Udaipur region. A total of 100 rectal swab samples were collected from selected diarrhoeic lambs. The samples were subjected for the isolation of E. coli through a series of conventional bacteriological and biochemical techniques. Besides prevalence study, risk factors were also studied and they were-age, sex, hygienic status and season. The overall prevalence of E. coli in the rectal swabs of diarrhoeic lambs of 0 to 3 month age group was 78 per cent (n=78/100). The prevalence was higher 86.53 per cent (45/52) in the lambs that were reared in poor hygienic condition as compared 68.75 per cent (33/48) to the lambs that were reared under good hygienic condition. The neonates (0-15 days) were highly susceptible 89.6 per cent (26/29) to E. coli infection as compared to 3 months old lambs (57.6 per cent; n=15/26). The prevalence of colibacillosis was higher in male lambs than female lambs but statistically there was no significant difference in the prevalence of colibacillosis in male and female lambs (P>0.05). The highest overall prevalence of colibacillosis in lambs during rainy season (92.8 per cent), followed by winter (77.7 per cent) and summer season (50 per cent) at organized farm and under field condition collectively. Each colibacillosis affected lamb was also subjected to thorough clinico-haemato-biochemical changes. There was significant increase in rectal temperature, heart rate and respiration rate and faecal consistency was semi-solid to watery. Haematological examination of colibacillosis affected lambs revealed significant increase in haemoglobin, PCV, TEC, TLC and neutrophils and significant decrease in MCV, MCH and MCHC. While, biochemical examinations of colibacillosis affected lambs revealed marked decrease in serum sodium, serum chloride and serum glucose and significant increase in serum potassium, total serum protein and A/G ratio. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]