School of Veterinary Medicine, Wollo University, 1145, Dessie, Ethiopia.
BMC Vet Res. 2023 Nov 28;19(1):249. doi: 10.1186/s12917-023-03815-w.
This research aims to determine the incidence of calf morbidity, mortality and its potential predisposing factors in the first six months of life. Morbidity and mortality of dairy calves are persistent problems for dairy farmers worldwide. For effective control and prevention programs on calf health, it is imperative to estimate the extent of calf morbidity and mortality, and associated risk factors. Although few studies have investigated the epidemiology of calf morbidity and mortality in Ethiopia, comprehensive information is scarce in this area.
Data were collected through a cross-sectional survey and longitudinal follow-up on purposively selected dairy farms. A longitudinal study was conducted on 235 calves from birth to 6 months of age. Survival analysis methods using the Kaplan-Meier (K-M) method, and mixed effect Cox proportional hazard regression were employed to compute the life-to-event data on morbidity and mortality.
From the 235 calves studied, 53 morbidity and 15 mortality events were recorded. This gives an overall morbidity and mortality incidence rate of 55 per 100-calf 6-months at risk (risk rate of 42.07%) and 14 per 100-calf 6-months at risk (risk rate of 12.97%), respectively. Diarrhea (13.84%) followed by pneumonia (8.97%) were the most common diseases that occurred in calves, respectively. Similarly, diarrhea (33.3%) and pneumonia (26.7%) were the leading causes of death. Dam parity (p < 0.001) and pen cleaning (p < 0.001) were significant predictors of calf morbidity. Dam parity (p = 0.007), calving status (p = 0.005), pen cleaning (p = 0.04), and floor type (p = 0.001) of houses were significantly associated with mortality. The hazard of diarrhea was significantly associated with sex (p = 0.003), first colostrum feeding time (p = 0.028), pen cleaning (p = 0.010), and breeding method (p = 0.013).
The rates of morbidity and mortality reported in the study were higher than the economically acceptable, also affecting the welfare of the animals. The risk factors found need due attention in the management practices of dairy calves in Ethiopia.
本研究旨在确定犊牛在生命的头六个月内发病率、死亡率及其潜在的诱发因素。全球奶农普遍面临犊牛发病率和死亡率这一持续存在的问题。为了对犊牛健康实施有效的控制和预防计划，必须评估犊牛发病率和死亡率的程度及其相关风险因素。尽管已有少数研究调查了埃塞俄比亚犊牛发病率和死亡率的流行病学情况，但该领域的综合信息仍然匮乏。
通过对有目的地选择的奶牛场进行横断面调查和纵向随访收集数据。对 235 头从出生到 6 个月大的犊牛进行了纵向研究。使用 Kaplan-Meier (K-M) 方法和混合效应 Cox 比例风险回归对发病率和死亡率的生存数据进行计算。
在所研究的 235 头犊牛中，记录了 53 起发病和 15 起死亡事件。这意味着总发病率和死亡率分别为每 100 头 6 月龄犊牛发病 55 例（风险率为 42.07%）和死亡 14 例（风险率为 12.97%）。犊牛中最常见的疾病分别是腹泻（13.84%）和肺炎（8.97%）。同样，腹泻（33.3%）和肺炎（26.7%）是导致死亡的主要原因。胎次（p<0.001）和牛栏清洁（p<0.001）是犊牛发病的显著预测因素。胎次（p=0.007）、产犊状态（p=0.005）、牛栏清洁（p=0.04）和畜舍地板类型（p=0.001）与死亡率显著相关。腹泻的发病风险与性别（p=0.003）、初乳第一次喂养时间（p=0.028）、牛栏清洁（p=0.010）和繁殖方法（p=0.013）显著相关。
本研究报告的发病率和死亡率高于经济可接受的水平，也影响了动物的福利。发现的风险因素需要在埃塞俄比亚的奶牛犊牛管理实践中引起重视。
