Antimicrobial susceptibility pattern of Escherichia coli isolated from dairy calves with diarrhoea in Akaki Kality, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia

Abstract

ABSTRACT Calf diarrhoea, the eighth most common cause of death in this age group, affects over 75% of newborn calves under three weeks old. Fifty calves with diarrhoea from the nine intensive dairy farms were assessed during the study period. Of these, 72% (n =36) were positive for E. coli There was a strong link between the prevalence of E. coli in calf diarrhoea and the age groups. Therefore, those under the age of one month were 1.3 more likely to be infected with E. coli than those between one and three months of age. The Antibiogram test revealed that E. coli isolated was highly responsive to the antibiotics tetracycline, chloramphenicol, sulfamethoxazole, streptomycin and doxycycline, but less susceptible to the drugs amoxicillin, ceftazidime, nitrofurantoin, and kanamycin and resistant to the antibiotics cefotaxime and vancomycin. Results from interviews and regular observations in the study area indicate that young calves were more impacted by diarrhoea, which accounted for about half of all health issues in calves. The E. coli recovery rate was significantly higher in calves that were one week old. These findings supported the hypothesis that the level of calf diarrhoea was excessive and would be detrimental to dairy output.