STUDIES ON NEONATAL CALF DIARRHEA IN KUWAIT

Neonatal calf diarrhea, also known as calf scours, is a common disease affecting newborn calves. It causes significant economic losses due to morbidity, mortality, and therapy cost and decreased rates of development in affected calves. Multiple enteric pathogens are known to cause this disease including viruses, bacteria and parasites. Cryptosporidium spp. is a protozoan parasite usually responsible for gastrointestinal tract disease in human and calves. E. coli K99 was also in-criminated as one of the important causes of neonatal diarrhea. Corona viral infection could also cause diarrhea in newborn calves. Onehundredninety-eightfecalsamplescollectedfromdiarrhe-ic calves were tested with timmunochromatographic rapid test. Sixty one (30.8%) were po-sitive for different pathogens either as single infection or co-infection with two or more enteric pathogens. Cryptosporidium was the highest 20.2% (40/198), followed by E. coli K99 at 17.2% (34/198), then Rotavirus 9.1% (18/198) and only 2 samples were positive for Coronavirus (1%).