Abstract:
A cross-sectional study was conducted from November 2021 to May 2022 on intensive and
extensive management system of in and around Maya City and Harar town dairy farm Eastern,
Ethiopia. The main objectives of the study were to study Occurrence, Associated Risk Factors
and Anti Bio gram of Salmonella Isolates from Apparently Healthy and Diarrheic Calves in
Selected Farms of Maya City and Harar Town, Eastern Ethiopia. Initially, 53 dairy farms were
selected using a systematic random sampling approach from which a total of 384 calves under
the age of 12 months (189 calves from intensive and 195 from extensive dairy farms) were
selected for fecal sample collection. Standard isolation techniques were used to identify the
salmonella from diarrheic and apparently healthy calves. Data was analyzed using (SPSS)
statistical software version 20. The overall occurrence of salmonella and cryptosporidium was
16.4% and 14.6% respectively. Co-infection association of Salmonella with Cryptosporidium
were found to be 40 (63.5) % and 10.4% out of salmonella positive animals and total sample
examined respectively. Multi logistic regression analysis of risk factors show that;
management system (OR=2.9, P=0.002), age category (OR = 4.5, p < 0.000) and fecal
consistency (OR=8.7, P < 0.000) found to have a statistically significant association with the
occurrence of salmonella. Sex (OR=1.1, p=0.671) and body condition scores score (OR= 2.5,
P=0.014) were slightly and closely linked with salmonella occurrence respectively.
Statistically significant co-infection association was observed on: Age category (χ2 =4.23, P
= 0.045), fecal consistency (χ2 = 18.52, P = 0.000), body condition score (χ2 = 11.97, P =
0.003) and management system (χ2 = 18.73, P= 0.000). Multiple antimicrobial resistances
(resistance to two or more antimicrobials) were detected in 95.2% (of the isolates. The isolates
were found to be susceptible to ciprofloxacin (100 %) and chloramphenicol (87.3%). Our
findings confirmed that risk factors such as management system, age, fecal consistency was
found to have a significant effect on the occurrence of salmonella infection in the calves.
Similarly, Cryptosporidium occurrence among Salmonella positive calves were significantly
higher in: diarrheic sample, intensively managed, less than 6-month age and poor body
condition score than their counter category (P<0.05). Based on those findings, Awareness
creation, adequate management and hygienic practices are paramount importance in the
control and prevention of the disease in the study area.
