DEVELOPMENT OF RURAL SHEEP HEALTH SURVEILLANCE SYSTEM INCLUDING EPIDEMIOLOGY AND ECONOMY RECORDS FOR PRODUCTION
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Date
1999
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AAU, Anand
Abstract
Sheep plays an important role in our national economy thriving in arid and semi-arid region and providing meat, wool, skin, manure and milk which contributing financial support to the rural people. The present study was carried out from 1st September, 1997 to 31st August, 1998 in one six villages of the Kutch district, which embodies results of endeavours directed towards development of rural sheep health surveillance system for generation of data on production/reproduction performance, disease profile, mortalities and culling patterns among rural sheep and for economic analysis of losses due to diseases. A total of 1,744 sheep screened through surveillance indicated an overall prevalence of disease to the extent of 67.49 per cent. The highest prevalence was recorded due to parasitic diseases (22.13%), majority in Patanwadi breed (69.07%), in the age group of adult sheep (69.72%). The overall high prevalence of disease was recorded in male animals (68.88%), with poor health status (92.06%), in large flock size (71.68%), which were husbanded in poor hygienical condition (79.62%), along with fair plan of nutrition (68.34%). The prevalence indicated significant high peak level during July-August months (25.92%), especially in monsoon season (34.46%), positively correlated with high humidity and rainfall. Amongst the different disease groups, the parasitic diseases (22.13%) ranked high followed by diseases of miscellaneous group (13.99%), digestive disorders (13.02%), bacterial diseases (12.27%), reproductive disorders (3.27%), fungal diseases (1.49%) and viral diseases (1.32%). Amongst these, the predominant disease conditions prevailed in the rural area were gastrointestinal nematode (8.72%), ectoparasite (6.25%), pneumonia (6.02%), enteritis (4.47%) and wound (3.10%). The overall mortality and case fatality rate were recorded as 9-29 and 13.76 per cent respectively. The higher mortality was in miscellaneous disease group (4.93%) followed by bacterial diseases (2.35%), digestive disorders (1.78%), parasitic diseases (0.17%) and viral diseases (0.06%). Of the major causes of mortality, pneumonia (1.20%), debility (1.20%), enteritis (0.80%), toxaemia (0.80%) and predation (0.75%) were found predominantly. Mortality was found higher in Patanwadi breed (9.83%), specifically in lamb group (16.04%), in male animal (13.78%), having poor health status (18.69%) and poor plan of nutrition (11.65%). Also the higher mortality was observed in small size flock (11.89%) and having fair hygienic condition (10.19%), similarly during July-August months (4.01%) and during rainy season (4.76%) compared to lower mortality during November- December months (0.46%) in winter season (1.43%). The projected economical losses due to treatment cost, reduction in wool production and growth rate, reduction in reproductive efficiency, losses due to mortality and culling were also calculated in the present study. The average treatment cost, reduction in wool production, poor growth rate, decline in reproduction efficiency, losses due to mortality and culling were quantified to be Rs.17=65, 1=90, 37=61, 190=44, 57=31 and 32=34 per sheep per year respectively in the present study. The use of computer programme for data recording, its storage, analysis and retrieval in present epidemiological surveillance proved much useful since sizable number of data was handled and analysed in shortest time with high accuracy. Advice and recommendations were made to initiate suitable control measures and prophylaxis against major sheep diseases by regular health care, deworming, better husbandry and nutrition with good hygienical approach to minimize the losses. Review of literature, modalities of techniques used at a rural level, the achievements, constraints and suggestions for future through the development of rural sheep health surveillance system using epidemiology and economy of records are detailed.
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VETERINARY MEDICINE, A STUDY