OUTBREAKS OF DERMATOPHILUS-CONGOLENSIS INFECTION IN CAMELS (CAMELUS-DROMEDARIUS) FROM THE BUTANA REGION IN EASTERN SUDAN

Natural Dermatophilus congolensis infection of camels has been reporte d in Kenya in semi-arid areas, Research is being conducted to discover how widespread the condition is in neighbouring countries with simila r eco-climatic conditions. Severe skin infections of camels from the B utana region of Eastern Sudan were examined, The infections were first found in two herds of adult camels, of which 50%-75% of the animals w ere affected, In the other thirteen herds examined, camel calves were more likely to be infected (34%) than adults (8.9%), and lesions were more severe and involved most parts of the body. The lesions began as hair matting and later developed into hard crusts, The case fatality r ate ranged from 10% to 30%. D. congolensis was isolated from the scabs . Camel dermatophilosis was found to be among the most serious problem s faced by camel herders in the Butana region.