Colibacillosis of dairy calves in Khartoum State, Sudan

According to the questionnaire survey results of 500 farms, the two first weeks of calf's age are the most hazardous and the risk decreases to 79.0%, 73.6% and 10.0% in third, fourth, fifth weeks respectively. There are losses of calves due to calf diarrhoea and adoption of different treatment trials of calf diarrhoea. The majority of the owners preferred Diaclean (77.6%), Tetracycline (69.2%) and Sulphonamides (58.0%) and the minority paid attention to fluid therapy (15.0%), Ciprofloxacin (35.8%) and Colipra (31.8%). Nine point four percent of the owners gave no treatment of calf diarrhoea and only decreased frequency of milk sucking of calves.Cases of calf diarrhoea were reported in 300 out of 500 farms in Khartoum State with incidence rate of 60%. The incidence was higher during autumn seasons and winter seasons than summer seasons. Among 300 diarrhoeic calves which were the sources of samples, the mortality rate was higher during first and second weeks (29.8% and 20.0% respectively) than the third week (19.1%).