Role of enteric pathogens in the aetiology of neonatal diarrhoea in lambs and goat kids in Spain.
Faeces samples from diarrhoeic and non-diarrhoeic lambs and goat kids aged 1-45 days were examined for enteric pathogens. Cryptosporidium parvum was detected in both diarrhoeic lambs (45%) and goat kids (42%) but not in non-diarrhoeic animals. F5+ (K99+) and/or F41+ Escherichia coli strains were isolated from 26% and 22% of the diarrhoeic lambs and goat kids, respectively, although these strains, which did not produce enterotoxins ST I or LT I, were found with similar frequencies in non-diarrhoeic animals. A F5-F41-ST I+ E. coli strain was isolated from a diarrhoeic lamb (0.6%). Verotoxigenic E. coli was isolated from both diarrhoeic and non-diarrhoeic lambs (4.1% and 8.2%, respectively) and there was no association between infection and diarrhoea. The prevalence of group A rotavirus infection in diarrhoeic lambs was very low (2.1%). Groups A and B rotaviruses were detected in three (8.1%) and five (13.5%) diarrhoeic goat kids from two single outbreaks. Group C rotaviruses were detected in four non-diarrhoeic goat kids. An association of diarrhoea and infection was demonstrated only for group B rotavirus. Clostridium perfringens was isolated from 10.8% of the diarrhoeic goat kids but not from non-diarrhoeic goat kids or lambs. Salmonella arizonae was isolated from a diarrhoeic goat kid (2.7%) and the clinical characteristics of the outbreaks where these two latter enteropathogens were found different from the rest. Picobirnaviruses were detected in a diarrhoeic lamb. No coronaviruses were detected using a bovine coronavirus ELISA. No evidence was found of synergistic effect between the agents studied. Enteric pathogens were not found in four (8.7%) and three (20%) outbreaks of diarrhoea in lambs and goat kids, respectively.
Muñoz
M
M
Departamento de Sanidad Animal, (Enfermedades Infecciosas y Epidemiología), Facultad de Veterinaria, Universidad de León, Spain.
Alvarez
M
M
Lanza
I
I
Cármenes
P
P
D000367:Age Factors; D000818:Animals; D000831:Animals, Newborn; D003458:Cryptosporidium / Q000302:isolation & purification; D003967:Diarrhea / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000382:microbiology / Q000469:parasitology / Q000662:veterinary*; D004196:Disease Outbreaks / Q000662:veterinary*; D004926:Escherichia coli / Q000302:isolation & purification; D015511:Goat Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000382:microbiology* / Q000469:parasitology*; D006041:Goats; D015995:Prevalence; D012401:Rotavirus / Q000302:isolation & purification; D012756:Sheep; D012757:Sheep Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000382:microbiology* / Q000469:parasitology*; D013030:Spain / Q000453:epidemiology