Clinico-pathological and anti-microbial sensitivity profile of Escherichia coli infection in neonatal Camel calves

Sudden onset of diarrhea was observed in 10 (21.73%) neonatal camel calves aged between five to ten days in an organised camel farm. The feces of diarrheic calves were foul smelling, watery or pasty and pale yellow to greenish yellow coloured yellow to greenish yellow with occasional presence of flecks of fibrin and blood. The hematological parameters revealed no significant variations. The fecal culture from diarrheic calves on Mac Conkey and EMB agar revealed presence of Escherichia coli colonies which were further confirmed by uidA gene PCR and sequencing. The antimicrobial sensitivity test of all the ten isolates revealed high susceptibility for Ceftriaxone and Cefotaxime; intermediate susceptibility for Amoxicillin/Sulbactum, Gentamicin, Amikacin, Trimethoprim and Rifampicin; whereas resistance was recorded for Cloxacillin and Lincomycin. In addition six isolates also revealed resistance for Penicillin G, Amoxicillin, Enrofloxacin and Tetracycline. Our findings showed importance of role multidrug resistant E. coli in causing diarrhea in neonatal camels.