Abstract
This study was aiming at: 1. Isolation and identification of aerobic bacteria implicated in dairy calf pneumonia in Bahri locality of Khartoum State (Sudan). 2. General evaluation of the housing condition, type and hygiene level and diseases of dairy calves. Eighty naso-pharyngeal swab samples were collected from untreated dairy calves showing typical signs of pneumonia. The swab samples were bacteriologically examined and 83 bacterial isolates were found. The identified bacteria were: 15 Staphylococcus aureus (18.2%), 7 Staphylococcus epidermidis (8.4%), 4 S Staphylococcus chromogenes (4.8%), 9 Streptococcus pneumoniae (10.8%), 5 Streptococcus uberis (6.0%), 7 Klebsiella pneumoniae (8.4%), 13 Escherichia coli (15.7%), 11 Pseudomonas aerogenosa (13.3%), 4 Bacillus subtilis (4.8%), 5 Micrococcus variens (6.0%) and 3 Micrococcus luteus (3.6%). Gram positive Bacteria represented the higher percentage (59.0%) compared to Gram negative bacteria which represented 41.0% of the total bacteria isolated from nasal swabs. Staphylococci represented the predominant bacteria (31.4%) isolated from naso-pharyngeal swabs compared to other bacteria Streptococci (16.8%), E. coli (15.7%), Ps. aerogenosa (13.3%), Micrococci (9.6%) K. pneumoniae (8.4%) and B. subtilis (4.8%). Results of the questionnaire survey in Bahri locality showed that calf pneumonia is one of the main health problem in calves with the prevalence of 45.5%. We conclude the high prevalence of calf pneumonia among dairy calves in Bahri Locality. We recommend feeding colostrum during the first day of birth. Other management factors should not be underestimated.