Epidemiology of Infectious Keratoconjunctivitis in Cattle in South‐east Ethiopia

Summary The aim of the study was to determine the prevalence of infectious keratoconjunctivitis on cross‐breed dairy farms and to evaluate factors that influence its distribution. A total of 11 dairy farms and one cattle cross‐breeding farm in different parts of Arsi region, south‐east Ethiopia were clinically and bacteriologically investigated from February 1989 to December 1990. Out of 5221 local zebu and cross‐breed 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 the disease was significantly ( P < 0.001) influenced by age and breed; high exotic blood level and younger age groups were mainly affected. However, severity of the disease was not significantly associated with age ( P > 0.750). Moraxella bovis was isolated from 88 (80 %) of the 110 bacteriologically positive 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 %), Staphylococcus aureus 17 (15 %), Pasteurella haemolytica nine (8 %), Escherichia coli eight (7 %) and Proteus spp. four (3.6 %).