Epidemiology of infectious keratoconjunctivitis in cattle in south-east Ethiopia

The aim of the study was to determine the prevalence of infectious keratoco njunctivitis on crossbreed dairy farms and to evaluate factors chat influen ce its distribution. A total of 11 dairy farms and one cattle cross-breedin g farm in different parts of Arsi region, south-east Ethiopia were clinical ly and bacteriologically investigated from February 1989 to December 1990. Out of 5221 local zebu and crossbreed dairy animals, 110 were found to have different degrees of infectious bovine keratoconjunctivitis. Of these, 94 (85.5%) were unilateral and 16 (14.5%) were bilateral. The prevalence of th e disease was significantly (P < 0.001) influenced by age and breed; high e xotic blood level and younger age groups were mainly affected. However, sev erity of the disease was not significantly associated with age (P > 0.750). Moraxella bovis was isolated from 88 (80%) of the 110 bacteriologically po sitive cases. Of these isolates, 61 (69%) were haemolytic and 27 (31%) were non-haemolytic strains. Infection with M. bovis was unilateral. Concurrent infections with M. bovis included Actinomyces pyogenes 23 (21%), Staphyloc occus aureus 17 (15%), Pasteurella haemolytica nine (8%), Escherichia coli eight (7%) and Proteus spp. four (3.6%).