Causes of calf mortality in peri-urban area of Nairobi, Kenya

Trop Anim Health Prod. 2010 Dec;42(8):1643-7. doi: 10.1007/s11250-010-9614-2. Epub 2010 Jun 6.

Abstract

The study reported data from 507 post-mortem records in the Department of Pathology, Microbiology and Parasitology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Nairobi, Kenya. The records were from carcasses obtained from the peri-urban area of Nairobi during a 20-year period between 1990 and 2009. Approximately 80% (393/507) of the calf carcasses had their diagnosis made through post-mortem examination, while the rest (114/507) were inconclusive. Just less than half (48.3%) of the calf carcasses presented had their age specified by the owners compared to 51.7% whose age was not specified. For calf carcasses whose age was specified by the owners, those indicated as more than 3 months were one-and-a-half times as many as those below 3 months old. The proportion of female carcasses (53.8%, 273/507) presented for post-mortem were slightly higher than the male carcasses (46.2%, 234/507). Diseases or conditions of the respiratory system were the most common 17.7% (97/507) while gastrointestinal tract (GIT) was second and affected 16.1% (88/507) of the cases. Another small number, 3.3% (18/507), died from bloat giving the total cases associated with GIT as 19.4% (106/507). Severe calf malnutrition and septicaemia were the third most reported causes of calf mortality in similar proportions at 14.3% (78/507) and 14.4% (79/507), respectively. Other minor causes of calf mortality were tick-borne diseases 8.6% (47/507), helminthiasis and poisoning, 2.9% (16/507) and 1.8% (10/507), respectively.

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Cattle
  • Cattle Diseases / epidemiology*
  • Cattle Diseases / etiology*
  • Cattle Diseases / mortality*
  • Diagnosis
  • Female
  • Gastrointestinal Diseases / epidemiology
  • Gastrointestinal Diseases / mortality
  • Gastrointestinal Diseases / veterinary*
  • Helminthiasis, Animal / epidemiology
  • Helminthiasis, Animal / mortality
  • Kenya / epidemiology
  • Male
  • Malnutrition / epidemiology
  • Malnutrition / mortality
  • Malnutrition / veterinary*
  • Respiration Disorders / epidemiology
  • Respiration Disorders / mortality
  • Respiration Disorders / veterinary*
  • Sepsis / epidemiology
  • Sepsis / mortality
  • Sepsis / veterinary*
  • Tick-Borne Diseases / epidemiology
  • Tick-Borne Diseases / mortality
  • Tick-Borne Diseases / veterinary