Dairy and animal husbandry are the pillars of my country's social and economic development and rural livelihoods. The buffalo is the second largest dairy cow in the world. Because of its significant contribution to the entire milk and meat production, it is considered the "black gold" of Pakistan. Pakistan has the second largest buffalo population, accounting for nearly 68% of the country's total milk production. Due to its higher fat content, consumers generally prefer buffalo milk to milk. In addition, meat, animal skins, dung, hair and horns also come from buffalo. However, certain diseases caused by bacteria and viruses can threaten the optimal growth and production performance of buffaloes.
Hemorrhagic sepsis (locally known as "Gal ghotu") is a bacterial respiratory disease of considerable economic importance, which has severely affected Pakistan's dairy industry. Although both cattle and buffalo are affected by this disease, it is believed that buffaloes are more vulnerable than cattle. Disease outbreaks often occur in the rainy season, leading to high morbidity and mortality in animals with poor health. The lack of well-organized vaccination campaigns, insufficient vaccine storage and transportation facilities, and the gradual increase in bacterial resistance have further increased the chances of disease occurrence and spread. Sick animals will have fever, runny nose, swelling of the throat and chest, difficulty breathing, and bedridden. If proper treatment is not provided in time, they will eventually die. Several antibacterial and anti-inflammatory drugs have different success rates for the treatment of diseased animals. Therefore, there is an urgent need for an appropriate treatment plan to protect the health of the buffalo and avoid the economic losses associated with this deadly disease.
Considering the urgent need to design a reasonable and effective treatment strategy for buffalo hemorrhagic sepsis, a study was conducted. This research project records the absorption, distribution and elimination of ceftiofur hydrochloride (third-generation cephalosporin antibiotic) in healthy buffalo calves and calves experimentally infected with Pasteurella multocida (the causative bacterium of hemorrhagic sepsis) The determinant of. In addition, the effect of co-administration of meloxicam (an anti-inflammatory drug) on the absorption, distribution and elimination of ceftiofur was also studied in two groups of buffalo calves. In addition, the efficacy of ceftiofur on Pasteurella multocida was also tested. Finally, the collected data is analyzed to determine a prudent and effective treatment plan for buffaloes with hemorrhagic sepsis.
Compared with healthy counterparts, experimentally infected buffalo calves showed rapid absorption, wide distribution and faster excretion of ceftiofur hydrochloride. In the two groups of buffalo calves, the distribution and elimination pattern of ceftiofur and meloxicam were not affected after co-administration.
Overall, the minimum concentration of ceftiofur hydrochloride required to inhibit growth and kill Pasteurella multocida is estimated to be 0.1875 µg/mL and 0.375 µg/mL, respectively. It is recommended that the intramuscular injection of 2.2 mg/kg of ceftiofur hydrochloride into healthy buffalo calves has an interval of 72 hours and 48 hours to ensure that the growth and killing of Pasteurella multocida are inhibited respectively. At the same time, using the recommended dose rate, repeated subcutaneous injections of ceftiofur hydrochloride into healthy buffalo calves after 96 and 72 hours, respectively, can achieve growth inhibition and bacterial killing. If combined with meloxicam, the intramuscular injection of ceftiofur hydrochloride should be repeated 96 hours and 72 hours after healthy buffalo calves to inhibit growth and kill Pasteurella multocida, respectively. On the other hand, a relatively short 48 and 36 hour dosing interval was recorded to maintain the growth inhibition and killing concentration of ceftiofur hydrochloride on infected buffalo calves after intramuscular administration.
In conclusion, when ceftiofur hydrochloride is used to treat buffalo hemorrhagic sepsis, proper dosage and dosing interval should be used. In addition, the abuse of ceftiofur hydrochloride should be avoided to maintain its efficacy against Pasteurella multocida and prevent the spread of bacterial resistance. It is expected that the results of the current research will reduce the cost of treatment of the deadly disease of buffalo, thereby reducing economic losses at the national level.
Dr. Muhammad Adil and Dr. Muhammad Ovais Omer
The author is in contact with the Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, University of Veterinary and Animal Science, Lahore, Pakistan.
Dr. Muhammad Adil and Dr. Muhammad Ovais Omer
NIPCO House, 4-Shaharah e Fatima Jinnah, Lahore, Pakistan Tel: +92 42 36367580 | Fax: +92 42 36367005