Causes of calf mortality in peri-urban area of Nairobi, Kenya.
The study reported data from 507 post-mortem records in the Department of Pathology, Microbiology and Parasitology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Nairobi, Kenya. The records were from carcasses obtained from the peri-urban area of Nairobi during a 20-year period between 1990 and 2009. Approximately 80% (393/507) of the calf carcasses had their diagnosis made through post-mortem examination, while the rest (114/507) were inconclusive. Just less than half (48.3%) of the calf carcasses presented had their age specified by the owners compared to 51.7% whose age was not specified. For calf carcasses whose age was specified by the owners, those indicated as more than 3 months were one-and-a-half times as many as those below 3 months old. The proportion of female carcasses (53.8%, 273/507) presented for post-mortem were slightly higher than the male carcasses (46.2%, 234/507). Diseases or conditions of the respiratory system were the most common 17.7% (97/507) while gastrointestinal tract (GIT) was second and affected 16.1% (88/507) of the cases. Another small number, 3.3% (18/507), died from bloat giving the total cases associated with GIT as 19.4% (106/507). Severe calf malnutrition and septicaemia were the third most reported causes of calf mortality in similar proportions at 14.3% (78/507) and 14.4% (79/507), respectively. Other minor causes of calf mortality were tick-borne diseases 8.6% (47/507), helminthiasis and poisoning, 2.9% (16/507) and 1.8% (10/507), respectively.
Department of Clinical Studies, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Nairobi, P.O. Box 29053-00625, Nairobi, Kenya. gkgitau@uonbi.ac.ke
George K
GK
Gitau
Joshua W
JW
Aleri
Paul G
PG
Mbuthia
Charles M
CM
Mulei
D000818:Animals; D002417:Cattle; D002418:Cattle Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology* / Q000401:mortality*; D003933:Diagnosis; D005260:Female; D005767:Gastrointestinal Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000401:mortality / Q000662:veterinary*; D006374:Helminthiasis, Animal / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000401:mortality; D007630:Kenya / Q000453:epidemiology; D008297:Male; D044342:Malnutrition / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000401:mortality / Q000662:veterinary*; D012120:Respiration Disorders / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000401:mortality / Q000662:veterinary*; D018805:Sepsis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000401:mortality / Q000662:veterinary*; D017282:Tick-Borne Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000401:mortality / Q000662:veterinary