Vol. 12, Special Issue 7 (2023)

Aim: The aim of the present work was to ascertain the role of E. coli and Salmonella spp. causing calf diarrhea, their biochemical profile and antibiotic sensitivity.

Materials and Methods: A study was conducted to isolate the bacterial spp. - E. coli and Salmonella spp. and to determine their antibiogram pattern. A total of 110 diarrheic fecal samples were collected from calves below 6 months age from different organized and unorganized farms in Shivamogga and surrounding three districts. Samples were collected directly from rectum using sterile cotton swabs and kept on ice and transported to the laboratory. The bacteria from the samples were isolated, biochemical profiling was performed and sensitivity towards antibiotics was determined by measuring the zone of inhibition on Muller Hinton agar.

Results: E. coli was isolated with the highest frequency of 95.45%, whereas Salmonella spp. was isolated at a low frequency of 7.27% from the diarrheic fecal samples. The result of antibiogram pattern of E. coli isolates showed that co-trimoxazole was the most sensitive antibiotic followed by ceftriaxone-tazobactum and ciprofloxacin. E. coli isolates showed highest resistant to metronidazole, nitrofurantoin, penicillin, streptomycin followed by polymyxin B and kanamycin. While Salmonella isolates were highly sensitive to ciprofloxacin, levofloxacin followed by co-trimoxazole and amoxicillin-sulbactum. However, the Salmonella isolates were resistant to metronidazole, cefixime, chloramphenicol followed by gentamicin, kanamycin and cefaperazone.

Conclusion: E. coli and Salmonella species isolated from calf diarrhea could be treated with co-trimoxazole and ciprofloxacin as they were found to be the most effective antibiotics.