Vet World   Vol.19   March-2026  Article - 17 

Camel plasma as an innovative non-antibiotic therapy for Escherichia coli-induced colibacillosis in neonatal lambs: a comparative pilot study with antibiotics, camel milk, and probiotics under a One Health framework

Background and Aim: Neonatal colibacillosis caused by Escherichia coli is associated with high mortality in lambs, resulting in significant economic losses and contributing to concerns about antimicrobial resistance (AMR). Conventional treatment relies heavily on antibiotics, but non-antibiotic alternatives are urgently needed to reduce AMR and support passive immunity transfer. This pilot study evaluated camel plasma as a novel non-antibiotic therapeutic option for E. coli infection in neonatal lambs, comparing its efficacy with antibiotics, camel milk, and commercial probiotics, while aligning with One Health principles to promote sustainable livestock production and reduce zoonotic risks.

Materials and Methods: Rectal swab samples from 10 naturally diarrheic lambs were initially collected and subjected to bacteriological culture on MacConkey and Eosin methylene blue agars, followed by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) targeting the uidA gene (162 base pair amplicon) for species confirmation. Antimicrobial susceptibility was determined using the Kirby–Bauer disk diffusion method against five antibiotics. Twenty diarrheic lambs (≤ 2 weeks of age, Awassi breed) were randomly assigned to four treatment groups (n = 5 each) for a 5-day intervention: antibiotics (gentamicin and ciprofloxacin administered intramuscularly), camel milk (5 mL/kg orally twice daily), camel plasma (5 mL/kg subcutaneously daily), and probiotics (5 × 10⁹ colony-forming units orally twice daily). Clinical parameters (appetite, hydration, fecal consistency, activity), hematological values (white blood cell [WBC] count, granulocytes, red blood cells, etc.), biochemical parameters (total protein, albumin, globulin, creatinine, liver enzymes), and serum immunoglobulin G (IgG) and immunoglobulin A (IgA) concentrations (measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay [ELISA]) were assessed before and after treatment. The physicochemical properties of camel milk were also determined. Data were analyzed using one-way analysis of variance followed by Tukey’s honestly significant difference test (p < 0.05).

Results: All isolates were confirmed as E. coli, showing 40%–60% susceptibility to the tested antibiotics. Camel milk composition averaged 3.29% fat, 3.83% protein, and 5.80% lactose. The camel plasma group exhibited the most pronounced clinical improvements, including markedly better appetite, activity, hydration status, and fecal consistency (returning to soft/pasty), with no adverse reactions observed. All treatments significantly reduced WBC counts (from 14.78 ± 3.60 to approximately 7 × 10⁹/L) and granulocyte counts (from 10.98 ± 3.26 to approximately 4 × 10⁹/L; p < 0.05). Biochemical parameters such as albumin, total protein, globulin, and creatinine showed moderate increases in the camel plasma group. ELISA results demonstrated significant stabilization of IgG levels (from approximately 5 to 2 μg/mL; p = 0.001) in the camel milk, camel plasma, and probiotic groups, with the most notable normalization of IgA occurring in the camel plasma group (from 2.03 ± 0.43 to 0.42 ± 0.15 μg/mL; p < 0.05).

Conclusion: Camel plasma demonstrated superior therapeutic efficacy compared with antibiotics, camel milk, and probiotics in improving clinical signs, modulating inflammatory responses, and supporting passive immunity in neonatal lambs with colibacillosis. As a promising non-antibiotic intervention, camel plasma has the potential to reduce antimicrobial use, limit the spread of AMR, enhance farm biosecurity, and decrease the risk of zoonotic transmission in resource-limited settings. These findings strongly support further large-scale, long-term studies to validate safety, optimize dosing, and explore broader applications within a One Health framework.

Keywords: antimicrobial resistance, camel milk, camel plasma, colibacillosis, Escherichia coli, neonatal lambs, non-antibiotic therapy, One Health.

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How to cite this article: Tuama HR, Khudhair NA, Abdulhameed MF. Camel plasma as an innovative non-antibiotic therapy for Escherichia coli-induced colibacillosis in neonatal lambs: a comparative pilot study with antibiotics, camel milk, and probiotics under a One Health framework. Vet World. 2026;19(3): 1132-1148.

Received: 25-09-2025   Accepted: 28-01-2026   Published online: 17-03-2026

Corresponding author: Mohanad Faris Abdulhameed    E-mail: mohanad.faris@uobasrah.edu.iq

DOI: 10.14202/vetworld.2026.1132-1148

Copyright: Tuama, et al. This article is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided you give appropriate credit to the original author(s) and the source, provide a link to the Creative Commons license, and indicate if changes were made. The Creative Commons Public Domain Dedication waiver (http:// creativecommons.org/publicdomain/zero/1.0/) applies to the data made available in this article, unless otherwise stated.