Soil-borne septicaemic colibacillosis in neonatal lambs: salient observations

Abstract

Background: In sheep, Escherichia coli infection can occur as asymptomatic entity to septicaemic episode. Chiefly, it causes heavy mortality in lambs and devastates the farm economy. With an objective of documenting the salient epidemiological and clinicopathological observations in this naturally occurred outbreak of septicaemic colibacillosis, this communication is made herewith. Methods: In February 2019, sudden death in lambs was observed in three flocks of sheep. Carcasses were subjected for necropsy and histopathological examination. Swab samples from heart, abomasum, intestines, liver and lung were examined for bacteriological and molecular confirmation. Result: The mean (±SE) age of lambs that were affected was 11.00 ±0.49 days (n=404). Lambs of native Malpura breed (87.5%) and other two crossbred sheep were affected. Overall mortality of lambs was 23.76%. Gross pathological observations were pulmonary edema, ecchymotic lesions in lungs, congestion in kidney and liver and presence soil-mixed ingesta in abomasum. From the morbid materials including stomach and intestinal swabs, 45 E. coli isolates were identified and they were also confirmed on polymerase chain reaction (PCR). Consequently, virulence genes for shiga toxin (stx2) and intimin (eae) were identified from the isolates. Although antibiotics were administered, only probiotics could control the new infection rate