Viral and bacterial infections associated with camel (Camelus dromedarius) calf diarrhea in North Province, Saudi Arabia

Abstract

Diarrhea and deaths in new-born camel calves were noticed by veterinary investigators and pastoralist in Saudi Arabia to be very high. Hence, it is thought to be necessary to investigate this problem from the virological and bacteriological point of view. The role of pathogenic bacteria and viruses in six different towns of North Province (Al-Assafia, Arar, Domat Aljandal, Hail, Skaka and Khoa) in Saudi Arabia was studied. Survey was conducted in diarrheic camel calves aged 12 months or younger. In our study calf diarrhea was reported in 184 out of 2308 camels examined clinically during one year, the prevalence of diarrhea was found to be 8.0% in calves ranging from one month to one year. In the present study group A rotavirus and Brucella abortus were detected in 14.7% and 8.98%, respectively, using ELISA technique. Escherichia coli was isolated from diarrheic calf camel (58.2%) 99/170 samples during dry and wet season. Salmonella spp. and Enterococcus spp. were detected in 12% and 8.8% of the specimens, respectively. In this study enterotoxogenic E. coli (ET E. coli) was isolated from 7% of diarrheic camel, which indicates the strong correlation between the camel calf diarrhea and the detection of enterotoxogenic E. coli. This study represented the first report for the detection of group A rotavirus and B. abortus antigen and antibodies in calf camels in Saudi Arabia. It is recommended that the disease should be controlled by vaccination in calf camels.

Camel Mastitis: A Review

“…While clinical cases are easy to detect by manual palpation and by visual examination of the milk using a strip cup (there is swelling, heat, pain and in duration in the mammary gland, and the milk is discolored and clotted), a large proportion of mastitis cases are not readily detectable; such cases are referred to as subclinical mastitis. In the latter cases, the diagnosis has become dependent largely on indirect tests which depend in turn on the leucocyte content of the milk [17]. Mastitis is a relatively infrequent disease in camels compared with cattle, but the incidence of mastitis may increase in dairy camels due to hand milking and teat malformation [18].…”

Exotic rotaviruses in animals and rotaviruses in exotic animals

“…The present review focuses on the exotic/unusual rotaviruses detected in livestock (cattle and pigs), horses and companion animals (cats and dogs). Avian RVs (RVD, RVF and RVG), including RVAs, which are genetically Typical RVA VP7 and VP4 genotypes Humans G1-G4, G9, G12, P [4], P [6], P [8] Cattle G6, G8, G10, P [1], P [5], P [11] Pigs G3-G5, G9, G11, P [6], P [7] Horses G3, G14, P [12] Cats and dogs G3, P [3], P [9] Exotic rotaviruses in animals 159 divergent from mammalian RVAs, are also discussed. Although scattered and limited studies have reported rotaviruses in several exotic animals and birds, including wildlife, these data remain to be compiled and reviewed.…”

“…Exotic/unusual rotaviruses in livestock, horses and companion animals Cattle G6, G8 or G10 RVAs possessing P [1], P [5] or P [11] are commonly found in cattle, with G6P [5] being the most predominant genotype combination among bovine RVAs [22,104] (Table 2). In addition, RVA strains belonging to other VP7 genotypes (G1-G4, G5, G11, G12, G15, G17, G21 and G24) and VP4 genotypes (P [3], P [6], P [7], P [14], P [17], P [21], P [29] and P [33]) have been reported occasionally in cattle [91,104]. Some of these genotypes are commonly detected in human RVAs (G1-G4, G12 and P [6]) and porcine RVAs (G3-G5, G11, P [6] and P [7]), whilst some others are avian-like (G17P [17]) or novel bovine genotypes (G15, G21, G24, P [21], P [29] and P [33]) [80,91,95,104].…”

Metagenomic analysis of viromes of dromedary camel fecal samples reveals large number and high diversity of circoviruses and picobirnaviruses

“…The recent emergence of Middle East Respiratory Coronavirus (MERS-CoV) from the Middle East and the presence of neutralizing antibodies against MERS-CoV from dromedaries in the Middle East have boosted interest in the search of novel viruses in dromedaries (de Groot et al, 2013;Lau et al, 2013;Perera et al, 2013;Reusken et al, 2013;Zaki et al, 2012). Viruses of at least eight families, including Paramyxoviridae, Flaviviridae, Herpesviridae, Papillomaviridae, Picornaviridae, Poxviridae, Reoviridae and Rhabdoviridae, have been found to infect camels (Al-Ruwaili et al, 2012;Intisar et al, 2009; Contents lists available at ScienceDirect journal homepage: www.elsevier.com/locate/yviro Ure et al, 2011;Wernery et al, 2014;Wernery et al, 2008;Wernery and Zachariah, 1999;Yousif et al, 2004). Recently, we have discovered a novel coronavirus, named dromedary camel coronavirus UAE-HKU23 (DcCoV UAE-HKU23), in dromedaries (Woo et al, 2014b).…”