Therapeutic Management of Bovine Brucellosis in Endemically Infected Dairy Cattle Herd of Native Sahiwal Breed

Abstract

In-view of the ban on cow slaughter and old system of 'permanent quarantine houses' for cows infected with Brucellosis and TB/JD is now non-existent, hence potential of 'therapeutic schedules' was evaluated for 'therapeutic management and cure' of bovine brucellosis in endemically infected dairy cattle herd of important native breed (Sahiwal), known for high milk production. Twenty seven Sahiwal cows of a dairy herd with history of abortions and still-births, were investigated and studied for 10 weeks following treatment. Brucella abortus was isolated from vaginal discharges of aborted cows and was characterized morphologically, biochemically and on molecular tests. Cows naturally infected were treated in two phases, cows in phase I of therapeutic schedule A were given streptomycin, isoniazid and rifampicin with long acting tetracyclines and cows in therapeutic schedule B were given streptomycin and rifampicin with enrofloxacin for 15 days. In phase II, maintenance schedule A was given isoniazid and rifampicin with long acting tetracyclines and in therapeutic schedule B cows were given isoniazid and rifampicin for 15 days with one shot of bayrocin. Sero-conversion of treated cows was monitored for a period of 10 weeks using SAT and in-house ELISA tests. Cows provided therapeutic schedule A and B, showed reduction in titers of anti-Brucella antibodies. The titers of infection were similar in all cows (>1:80) which were treated. Of the 27 cows treated with two therapeutic schedules, 12 became pregnant and 10 (83.3%) had normal calving. Except two cows, which were in advance stage of pregnancy at the time of treatment, there was no abortion in treated cows. In naturally infected cows the above two schedule though costly proved effective for therapeutic management of Brucella infection.