Septicemia in Dairy Sheep

 Written by: Muzamil Shah Watandost

Most Afghan villagers are engaged in agriculture and livestock. Livestock is one of the most profitable income sources for farmers. But sometimes various diseases cause the death of livestock and cattle; one of them is septicemia in dairy sheep.

AEPO’s writer/producer has talked to some dairy farmers and a veterinarian about this disease.

Sardar, a resident of Guldara district, Kabul province says, “If a dairy sheep effects with septicemia, it might not be recovered easily. I have 28 dairy sheep. In the beginning, one of them was infected with septicemia, but now the disease has transferred to 2 more dairy sheep.”

Mirgul, a resident of Kabul province says, “We have identified two types of septicemia disease. One kind of septicemia causes the dairy sheep to swell which can be treated.  In the second type of this disease, dairy sheep lose their weight and cannot be cured and we sell them before death. I had bought a dairy sheep for 12,000 Afghanis and sold it to a butcher for 3,000 Afghanis.”

A veterinarian (Fatima) says, “Septicemia is called sheep jaundice. Clinical signs include depression, lethargy, and restlessness. Sudden death may occur. Affected sheep usually have a fever and a body temperature is between 40.5 and 40 degrees Celsius. Dehydration is seen, and the eyes are sunken. The number of breaths increases.”

What do some farmers think about the causes and symptoms of this disease?

Omar, a resident of Kabul province says, “Sheep infected with septicemia suffers from heartburn and cannot walk well and has depression and nostalgia. Swelling and losing weight are the symptoms of this disease. Septicemia is a contagious disease which transfers easily from an infected dairy sheep to a healthy one.”

Saidajan says, “Dairy sheep with septicemia have a fever and cough and could not eat and walk.”

Doctor Fatima says, “The most important factors are: overcrowding, collecting animals from different farms with poor nutritional conditions and stress, lack of space, lack of effective transfer of antibodies from mother to the baby, transportation in poor conditions and cold or extreme heat, which has been associated with a sudden outbreak of pneumonia different factors.”

How do some farmers treat this disease among sheep and prevent its spread?

Sardar says, “We feed the infected sheep with edible oil or diesel and raw eggs, and if these treatments do not work, we take them to a livestock clinic.”
Mirgul says, “We take the infected dairy sheep to a veterinarian for treatment but feeding the dairy sheep with an egg with its cover is very useful for treating septicemia disease.”

Doctor Fatima says, “Treatment should be based on bacterial culture and bacterial susceptibility testing. Effective antibiotics commonly recommended for the treatment of this disease include: 10% oxytetracycline at a dose of 10 mg/kg body weight per day for three days / 20% oxytetracycline at a dose of 20 mg/kg as well as the use of anti-inflammatory and expectorant medicines is also recommended to reduce respiratory symptoms.