associated with concurrent enteric infection in lambs

Aim: The trials were designed on 30 lambs of age below 2 weeks exhibiting the symptoms of colibacillosis. Materials and Methods: Isolation of organism and identification of pathogenic Escherichia coli was confirmed by standard cultural, microbiological, serological, and biochemical tests. Venous blood was collected aseptically for hematological studies. Result: Bacteriological examinations of fecal sample were positive for E.coli and isolates identified on the basis of morphological, cultural, and biochemical characteristics provided further confirmation. Hematological indices recorded significant (p > 0.05) increase in the packed cell volume, total leucocyte count, lymphocyte, and neutrophil percentage, whereas biochemical indices recorded significant decrease in the serum glucose, protein and serum albumin/ globulin levels. Treatment regimen in four different groups, suggested, gentamicin and ciprofloxacin effective drugs followed by neomycin and co-trimoxazole. Conclusion: Study suggested significant (P > 0.05) alteration in hemato-biochemical parameters whereas results indicated gentamicin and ciprofloxacin as most effective drugs.


Introduction
study of hemato-biochemical parameters of diarrheic lambs with pathogenic E.coli isolated and evaluation of The success of sheep farming is largely based on different therapeutic regimens for treatment of the good health status and low mortality rate during colibacillosis was undertaken.earlier life.This is measured in terms of lambs successfully reared in a given season which can be

achieved by decreasing early mortality rate over a
Ethical approval: Study was performed according to shorter period of time [1].Epidemiological studies on the 'Guidelines for Animal Experimentation' approved diarrhoea in lambs have shown that Escherichia coli is by the Institutional Animal Care Committee.an important cause of neonatal mortality [2,3].
The clinical trials were designed on thirty lambs Colibacillosis is one of the important diseases in farm exhibiting the symptoms of diarrhea, dehydration, animals caused by pathogenic serotypes of E. coli [4].
fever, and anorexia.These animals were divided into Escherichia coli has been associated with two forms of five groups (six animals each).Rectal swabs were infections; enteric and septicemic infection.-The collected aseptically for the confirmation and enteric form is more commonly observed in 2 to 8 day identification of pathogenic E. coli by standard old lambs, and characterized by varying degree of cultural, microbiological, serological and biochemical diarrhoea, dehydration, and huge mortality in untreated tests [10].Four drug regimens were used in four groups cases.The E.coli infection has been reported to be which included four different antibacterial (Ciprofloxacinassociated with diarrhea in neonate farm animals [5]. group II, Co-trimoxazole-group-III, Gentamicin-The pathophysiology of colibacillosis is due to K99 + group-IV, Neomycin-group-V), whereas group-I of six adhesin antigen and heat stable enterotoxin, the major healthy lambs was kept as healthy control group.Only virulence attributes of enteric strain of E.coli in farm those antibacterial were used which showed moderate ruminants [6,7].It is a significant cause of economic to high in-vitro sensitivity against E. coli isolates, loss in raising sheep and one of the important zoonotic which were readily available and economically feasible.diseases [8,9].In the present investigation, a detailed For hematological studies blood was collected from each animal of all groups in clean sterilized glass vials containing EDTA, as anticoagulant.For separation of serum 10 ml of blood was collected in sterile centrifuge tubes and kept in slanting position for about an hour at

Hemato-biochemical and therapeutic studies on Escherichia coli associated with concurrent enteric infection in lambs
room temperature.The blood clot was broken and treatment.subsequently centrifuged at 2000 rpm for 30 minutes.
In the present study, the treatment of the clinical Hb, PCV, TLC and TEC were determined using cases of colibacillosis in lambs was studied on four trail standard procedures as described by [11].Glucose was groups of six lambs each.In these trail groups, estimated by Trinder method [12] and total therapeutic efficacy of four different antibacterial viz.protein/albumin was determined by Doumas method Ciprofloxacin, Gentamicin, Neomycin, and Co-[13] (Kits supplied: Coral-Clinical System, Crest trimoxazole was evaluated (which showed higher in Biosystems, Goa, India).
vitro sensitivity against E. coli isolates) against clinical colibacillosis in lambs.In gentamicin and neomycin Statistical analysis: The results were subjected to treated group, the hemoglobin value showed statistical analysis as per the ANOVA method [14].th decreasing trend and by day 6 post treatment, there

Results
was significant (P > 0.05) decrease as compared to values at '0' day.In ciprofloxacin and co-trimoxazole Detailed clinical observations were recorded in treated groups progressive decrease was observed in all lambs which presented variable clinical symptoms hemoglobin value that was not-significant (P > 0.05) at of disease like scant fecal volume to profuse wateryth 6 day post treatment as compared to 0 day.In whitish diarrhoea, soiling of perineum and tail, mild to ciprofloxacin, co-trimoxazole, gentamicin and moderate dehydration, rough body coat, dry neomycin treated groups there was significant (P > mouth/muzzle, profound weakness, and slight increase 0.05) increase in total erythrocyte count at 144 hours in temperature.In all the groups of lambs with clinical th post treatment (6 day).In all infected groups, the mean colibacillosis, nonsignificant increase in the values of total leucocyte count was significantly (P > 0.05) hemoglobin was recorded.There was significant higher.However, the total leucocyte count was nonincrease in packed cell volume, total leukocyte count, significantly lower in case of ciprofloxacin and lymphocyte count, and neutrophil percentage (Table-1).
gentamicin treated groups but significantly lower in Serum glucose, protein and serum albumin/ globulin case of co-trimoxazole and neomycin treated groups as value showed declining trend in infected lambs as compared to values of infected untreated control, compared to healthy lambs.In case of treatment groups whereas, values in treatment groups were comparable significant increase was seen in serum glucose, protein th th to healthy control by 6 day post treatment.and serum albumin/ globulin value after 6 day post The efficacy of the drugs was assessed as per the weight were found 100 per cent effective at 144 hour rate and degree of recovery of clinical symptoms.post treatment.Neomycin at the dose rate of 10 mg/ kg Gentamicin at the dose rate of 4 mg/ kg body weight body weight was 83.35 per cent effective and co-(0.3ml i/m bid) and Ciprofloxacin at the dose rate of 4 trimoxazole at the dose rate of 15-30 mg/ kg body th weight was 66.8 per cent effective at 144 hour post mg/ kg body weight orally (250 mg tab-1/4 twice treatment.Treatment regimen used in four different daily) daily for five days proved to be most effective groups of clinical cases of colibacillosis indicated drugs wherein, drugs helped in restoration of the gentamicin and ciprofloxacin most effective drugs disturbed haematobiochemical changes and abating followed by neomycin and co-trimoxazole which was clinical symptoms.The drugs helped in normalizing comparable with in vitro study.
the haemato-biochemical changes like hemoglobin, In ciprofloxacin and gentamicin treated groups packed cell volume, total leucocyte count, blood st glucose and total protein.These drugs showed good the rate of recovery (+) during 1 day of treatment was results and have been 100 per cent effective for treating obvious with decrease in dehydration and capillary enteric colibacillosis.Other group of lambs was treated refill time whereas, there was increase recorded in with another conventional gut acting antibacterial blood glucose and protein levels post treatment.th Neomycin at the dose rate of 10 mg/ kg body weight However by day 6 (144 Hours) rate of recovery was

Table - 1
. Hematobiochemical values (Mean ± SE) before and after treatment Values with Similar superscript (Capital letters-Between groups and small letters -Within groups) do not differ significantly (P>0.05)
efficacy treatment with significant decrease post-treatment.14.Snedecor, C.S. and Cochran, W.G. (1994) Statistical This was due to the treatment regimen used in four th methods.8 Ed., USA: The Iowa State University Press, different groups of clinical cases of colibacillosis, Ames.