7-Title: Prevalence, risk factors and cross sectional epidemiology for some selected diseases and syndromes affecting Rahmani sheep with particular spotlight on their economic consequences

Authors: Abdelgawad Salah El-Tahawy and Ibrahim Ahmed Mostafa

Source: Ruminant Science (2015)-4(2):159-165.

How to cite this manuscript: El-Tahawy Abdelgawad Salah and Mostafa Ibrahim Ahmed (2015). Prevalence, risk factors and cross sectional epidemiology for some selected diseases and syndromes affecting Rahmani sheep with particular spotlight on their economic consequences. Ruminant Science 4(2):159-165.

Abstract

A surveillance study was conducted on 3400 adult Rahmani sheep and 4375 lambs from randomly selected 15 flocks through 2013 to 2015 to explore the prevalence of some diseases and syndromes with special emphasis on their economic consequences. The results showed that the prevalence of pneumonia, Oestrus ovis infestation, and shearing-abscess in adult male sheep was 26.07%, 19.42%, and 31.96%, respectively compared to those recorded in adult ewes; 12.75%, 24.56%, and  11.08%, respectively. Additionally, the time of years showed a highly prevalence of such diseases and syndromes affecting adult sheep were greatly observed in autumn, summer, and spring seasons, respectively. The value of weight loss was significantly greater in male rahmani sheep affected with diarrhoea (68.80 EGP) followed by shearing-abscess (48.00 EGP) and pneumonia (36.80 EGP).  With regard to rahmani lambs, the prevalence of pneumonia and diarrhoea in male lambs was 15.51% and 17.09%, respectively compared to those observed in female lambs; 12.03% and 15.32%, respectively. Both conditions were particularly prevalent during autumn and winter seasons, respectively. It is interesting to note that pneumonia and diarrhoea costed 22.13 EGP and 19.15 EGP as a result of weight loss compared to those lost in female lambs (20.42 EGP and 17.25 EGP, respectively). The results of this study suggest that the diseases and syndromes under investigation had a negative impact on the productivity of young and adult Rahmani sheep through a combination of weight reduction and reduced life expectancy. Additionally, the current study confirmed that such diseases and syndromes had a detrimental effect on the economic efficiency of the Rahmani sheep farming system via an increase in flock-wide health costs.

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