Variation in clinical findings associated with neonatal colibacillosis in lambs before and after treatment

Aim: To identify the changes in clinical findings before and after treatment associated with enteric colibacillosis in lambs under different managemental setup. Materials and Methods: Clinical trial was designed on thirty lambs showing the following signs: scanty fecal volume to profuse watery to whitish diarrhoea, varying degree of dehydration, respiration and heart rate, pale mucous membrane and prolonged capillary refill time. Results: Clinical signs associated with colibacillosis varied significantly (P<0.05) before and after treatment. On first day, all the clinical signs were perfectly described and pathogenic Escherichia coli serotypes were isolated from all the affected lambs. Treatment regimen used (antibacterial) in four different groups of clinical cases of colibacillosis indicated gradual improvement and clinical findings started to normalize after the treatment was commenced. Conclusion: The clinical severity may vary according to the number of organisms and the physiological condition of the affected animals. Skin fold test was a more significant indicator of dehydration and fluid loss in diarrheic lambs than eyeball recession. Capillary refill time was a reliable and a significant indicator of peripheral perfusion among diarrheic lambs.


Introduction
lamb mortality due to neonatal Colibacillosis is one of the stumbling blocks for its expansion and to reap New born farm animals are highly vulnerable to economic benefits.infections and diseases as they possess negligible An understanding of the clinical signs associated concentrations of circulating immunoglobulins.Coliwith this infection is therefore, important for the bacillosis is one of the important neonatal diseases, development of effective intervention strategies to most common in lambs occurring during first few days control this disease [8,9].to few weeks of life [1].The disease is caused by pathogenic serotypes of Escherichia coli [2,3].E. coli

has been associated with two forms of enteric and
Ethical approval: Study was performed after the septicemic infections with the enteric form being more permission of the Institutional Animal Care.commonly observed in 2 to 8 day old lambs, characterized by varying degree of diarrhea, dehydration, acidosis Experimental design: Studies on the variations in and death in few days if untreated [4,5].The septicemic clinical findings associated with colibacillosis in lambs form in lambs at 2 to 6 weeks of age is characterized by were conducted during different seasons (winter, severe illness and rapid death [6].Generally, affected spring, summer and autumn) at different geographical animals are depressed and weak, commonly recumbent, areas that included both organized and unorganized and dehydrated; tachycardia is present and the body farms.The clinical trials were designed on thirty lambs temperature may be variable.The suckle reflex is either exhibiting the symptoms of diarrhea and dehydration weak or absent, the oral mucous membranes are dry and were divided into five groups (six animals each).and cool, and capillary refill time may be prolonged.
Four drug regimens were used in four groups which However, there are no diagnostic clinical signs that can included different antibacterials viz; (Group-I: Ciprodifferentiate the disease but clinical findings at first floxacin-4mg/kg body weight, Group-II: Co-trimoxazole-15mg/ kg body weight, Group-III: Neomycin-10 mg/ pave a way to start an effective diagnostic and therapeutic kg body weight Group-IV: Gentamicin -4mg/kg body strategy [7].Although sheep husbandry is an important weight respectively twice daily for four days).Whereas, component of livestock sector of J & K state, early one of the groups acted as infected untreated control and other group of six healthy lambs was kept as healthy control group.For conducting studies on the variation in clinical findings associated with colibaci-llosis, rectal swabs were collected from diarrheic lambs disease like scant fecal volume to profuse waterybelow the age group of 8-weeks irrespective of their whitish diarrhea, soiling of perineum and tail, mild sex and breed for the isolation of E. coli.These lambs dehydration, rough body coat, dry mouth/muzzle, were reared under different managemental conditions.tachycardia, pale mucous membrane, prolonged Rectal swabs were collected aseptically and processed capillary refill time, profound weakness, slight within 2 to 4 hours for the isolation and identification of increase in rectal temperature and increased E. coli using standard cultural, microbiological and respiration rate.Weight loss and decrease in appetite biochemical tests [10].Detailed symptoms and clinical (poor suckling effect) was also recorded [12,13].observations were recorded in all the animals of Diarrhea or scouring occurs when the capability of the different groups.Systematic clinical examination was intestine to absorb fluid is impaired.Interference with done, starting from the 0 day before treatment and up to this absorptive function of the intestine occurs due to sixth day of post treatment.The variations in clinical damage to the cells lining the intestine, may result from signs were regularly monitored till the animals showed cell destruction by infectious agents (E.coli), resulting clear signs of recovery.hydration status of the diarrheic lambs as revealed by i) Cervical Skin fold test (sec): The skin fold test recession of eyeball indicated that the overall recession was performed by tenting the skin of the lateral portion of eyeball recorded in different infected groups on day of the cervical region of neck and measuring the time 0 varied between 2-1 mm indicating 2-4% dehydration (seconds) required for the skin fold to return to normal.
as compared to healthy control group.The hydration ii) Visible mucous membranes and extremities: Oral status of the diarrhoeic lambs as revealed by capillary mucosa was examined for the presence of visible color.
refill time suggested that in infected untreated groups, iii) Capillary refill time (C.R.T.) (sec): It was evaluated for peripheral perfusion.The C.R.T. was checked by on day 0 capillary refill time was significantly high as pressing the gums with a finger or thumb firmly to compared to healthy control, whereas there was a blanch the area then measuring the time it takes to progressive decrease from 48 hours post treatment th return to normal color.groups and by 6 day (144 hrs) capillary refill time in iv) Depth of enophthalmos (mm): Recession of different treatment groups was almost comparable to eyeball was determined by visual evaluation of the gap healthy control group.There was a definite increase in formed between the eyeball and the orbit when the the skin fold time in the diarrheic lambs which was medial canthus of the eye was manually opened.
indicative of decreased skin elasticity due to extracellular fluid loss in these animals.An average skin Statistical analysis: The results were subjected to two fold time of 4.3 seconds, which was recorded in the way ANOVA statistical analysis [11].
present study, corresponded approximately to the

Results and Discussion
dehydration of 4-6% [16].There was no significant change in eyeball recession in the diarrheic lambs from In order to confirm the presence of pathogenic E.
the present study.Skin fold test was thus a more coli, the cultural examination of faecal samples significant indicator of dehydration and fluid loss in collected from diarrheic lambs, was done.All the E. diarrheic lambs.Eyeball recession as indicator of coli isolates were sent to National Salmonella and dehydration has also been reported [17].There was Escherichia Centre Kasouli (Himachal Pradesh) for also increase in capillary refill time with an average of Serotyping.The cases in which pathogenic E .coli3.33 seconds in the diarrhoeic lambs as compared to isolates were obtained from the faecal samples were taken for further study.The lambs suffering from healthy lambs which was indicative of compromised colibacillosis presented variable clinical symptoms of circulating volume and a reduced peripheral perfusion in these animals.Similar findings have been reported infected was significantly higher as compared to healthy previously [18].control at '0' day pre-treatment.In three treatment groups, there was significant decrease in heart rate, Respiration rate (breaths/min): The respiration rates evident at 96 hours post treatment, whereas, in fourth recorded in different infected groups were significantly treated group significant decrease was observed at 144 (P<0.05)higher as compared to healthy control but hours post treatment when compared to respective lower to infected untreated control on day '0' (Table -2).
values on day 0. By day 6 (144 hours) the mean heart Progressive decrease in respiration rate was observed rate in all treated groups was significantly lower as on successive days of post treatment and at 144 hours, compared to infected untreated control but comparable significantly lower respiration rate values were recorded to healthy control.A marked increase in respiration rate in all treatment groups as compared to infected untreated was recorded in E. coli infected lambs as compared to control but values were comparable to healthy control healthy lambs.The variation in the depth and rate of [22].
respiration may be because of dehydration which leads o Rectal Temperature ( F): The recorded rectal temperature to hyperpnoea and polypnea.The variation in heart rate in infected groups on day 0 was significantly higher as and pulse rate may be probably because of metabolic compared to healthy control.In first two treatment upsets as reported previously [23][24][25].groups there was a progressive decrease in the rectal th

Conclusion
temperature by 4 day post treatment but was nonsignificant, whereas, in other two treatment groups, On perusal of the results obtained in the present there was a significant decrease in the rectal temperature study, we conclude that the clinical signs associated by four days post treatment (Table -2).By day six post with colibacillosis varied significantly before and after treatment, the rectal temperature in all treatment treatment.On first day, all the clinical signs were perfectly groups was comparable to healthy control group.All described and pathogenic E. coli serotypes were isolated the lambs naturally infected with E. coli showed signs from all the affected lambs; however by day six there 0 of higher rectal temperature varying from 103.5 to 104 was a gradual improvement in the signs and symptoms o F with a mean of 104.20 ± 0.14 F indicative of bacterial after the treatment.The clinical findings varied according infection and/or septicemia responsible for higher body to the severity of the disease and the immediate temperature.These observations support the earlier reports treatment regimen that was started from day confirmed in neonatal septicemic calves [19][20][21].
a great response in the treated animals.After the diarrhea is evident, the outstanding clinical signs associated Pulse rate (pulsation/min): The mean pulse rate in all with colibacillosis are a varying degree of dehydration, infected groups was significantly higher as compared variations in respiration and heart rate.The prognosis to healthy control at '0' day pre-treatment (  Values with similar superscript (Capital letters-between groups and small letters -Within groups) do not differ significantly (P>0.05)

Table - 1
: Difference in Clinical signs before and after treatment.

Table -
By 6day the mean pulse rate recorded experiment and case study was done by NH and GNS. in all treatment groups the pulsation/min respectively Results were interpreted and formulated by GNS, NH, was significantly lower as compared to infected untreated GN and SAH.All authors participated in draft and control but comparable to healthy control.revision of the manuscript.All authors read and approved the final manuscript.
th values on day 0. Heart Rate (beats /min): The mean heart rate in all

Table - 2
: Difference in clinical signs before and after treatment