SERO-SURVEILLANCE OF HEMORRHAGIC SEPTICEMIA IN BUFFALOES IN DERA- GHAZI-KHAN, PUNJAB, PAKISTAN

Published: November 19, 2011

By: Umer Farooq, Hafiz A. Samad, M. Ather Khan and Zaka Saeed

Summary

Hemorrhagic septicemia (HS) is a fatal systemic disease of buffaloes and cattle. In South East Asia, HS is caused by infection with Pasteurella multocida serotype B: 2. The disease often occurs as an acute septicemia form and is clinically characterized by high rise in temperature (104-108°F), respiratory distress, nasal discharge, salivation, tongue protrusion, reluctance to move, development of hot painful swelling and edema on throat, brisket or occasionally forelegs. In the present study, a buffalo population (n=2963) from 10 villages of Dera Ghazi Khan (DGK) with outbreak, was subjected to study the sero-surveillance on HS. The animals were divided into two groups on the basis of their age i.e. Group A (n=1042): less than 2 years old and Group B (n=1921): more than 2 years old. Ten other villages free of infection/outbreak were also surveyed in the same geographical area, for the purpose of comparison. The average geometric mean titre (GMT) recorded against HS in diseased buffaloes was 5.7 in contrast to 34.3 in healthy animals. The morbidity, mortality and case fatality rates were 18.42, 15.45 and 27.00 % in young male buffalo calves; and 39.15, 36.75 and 63.83% in young female buffalo calves, respectively. Similarly, the morbidity, mortality and case fatality rates were 0.78, 0.57 and 18.03% in adult male buffaloes; and 2.39, 1.35 and 42.62% in adult female buffaloes, respectively. The overall morbidity, mortality and case fatality rates were 57.58, 52.30 and 90.83% in young buffalo calves; and 3.17, 1.92 and 60.65%, in adult buffaloes, respectively. The present study revealed that the young ones and the females of buffalo are more susceptible to the disease than the adults and males. Keywords: Sero-surveillance, hemorrhagic septicemia, cattle, buffaloes.

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