2024, Vol. 7, Special Issue 3

author(s)
AK Prajapati, JS Patel, AI Dadawala, CM Bhadesiya, DV Patel, YJ Chaudhari, LM Sorathiya and JH Prajapati

abstract
Respiratory tract ailments, characterized by nasal discharge, sneezing and coughing, are prevalent among goats in rural India where veterinary healthcare facilities are limited. Present study focuses on the critical role of small ruminant rearing in the rural parts of India where goats are raised for milk and meat purpose. In these rural areas, goat owners keep animals in close proximity with each other which leaves a possibility of rapid spread of infectious diseases. Lack of timely veterinary care by experts encourages owners to get their animals treated instantly by use of different antibiotics haphazardly which can lead to antibiotic resistance in animals. Hence, the present study was conducted to study antibiogram of bacterial isolates recovered from privately-owned goats having nasal discharge as a symptom irrespective of age, breed, gender and disease. The most consistent bacteria isolated from nasal swabs in goats with nasal discharge was Staphylococcus spp. (93.33%) followed by Streptococcus spp. (83.33%), Escherichia coli (73.33%), Klebsiella spp. (53.33%) and Salmonella spp. (23.33%). The mixed presence of two different isolates was observed highest for Staphylococcus spp. + Escherichia coli (56.67%) followed by Staphylococcus spp. + Klebsiella spp. (43.33%), Streptococcus spp. + Escherichia coli (16.67%), Staphylococcus spp. + Salmonella spp. (23.33%) and Streptococcus spp. + Klebsiella spp. (10.00%). The results of antibiotic sensitivity test (ABST) revealed a considerable variation in the sensitivity of these organisms to antimicrobial agents. Notably, some antibiotics, including Gentamicin, Ciprofloxacin, Streptomycin, Clotrimoxazole, and Chloramphenicol, showed variable efficacy against the isolates. In contrast, a smaller proportion of the isolates exhibited sensitivity to Tetracycline, Cefixime, Erythromycin, and the Ampicillin/Sulbactam combination. This suggests that these antibiotics had limited effectiveness against the majority of the isolates. Alarmingly, all of the isolates displayed resistance against Penicillin G, Ampicillin, and Cefotaxime, rendering these antibiotics ineffective for treating infections associated with nasal discharge in this study. These findings underscore the urgent need for responsible antibiotic use and the exploration of alternative treatment options for respiratory tract infections in small ruminants to combat the growing concern of antibiotic resistance.