PAKISTAN
VETERINARY
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Epidemiology of Infectious Bovine Keratoconjunctivitis (Pinkeye): A Survey of Commercial Dairy Herds in Pakistan
 
Hadia Mubeen1, Muhammad Avais1, Jawaria Ali Khan1, Muhammad Imran Rashid2, Muhammad Awais Asif3, Muhammad Awais4 and Muhammad Zahid Iqbal1
 

1Department of Veterinary Medicine, University of Veterinary and Animal Sciences, Lahore-54000, Pakistan; 2Department of Parasitology, University of Veterinary and Animal Sciences, Lahore-54000, Pakistan; 3Vice Chancellor's Secretariat, University of Veterinary and Animal Sciences, Lahore-54000, Pakistan; 4Department of Small Animal Clinical Sciences, University of Veterinary and Animal Sciences, Lahore-54000, Pakistan
*Corresponding author: mavais@uvas.edu.pk

Abstract   

Infectious bovine keratoconjunctivitis (IBK) commonly known as pinkeye is a contagious non-fatal bacterial infection of the eye that has tremendous economic impact on the dairy industry. Nevertheless, it is a much-neglected dairy issue in Pakistan. The current study was aimed to find out the prevalence and risk factors associated with pinkeye infection in commercial dairy herds in Pakistan. This study recruited 10,573 cows in 20 commercial dairy herds holding ≥25 cows per herd. The cows were assessed based on eye lesions using a scale from 1 to 4, with 4 being the most severe of all. Culture of subconjunctival swab samples was also undertaken. The overall prevalence of pinkeye was 6.86% with Holstein-Friesian breed being the most affected (7.25%) followed by crossbred (6.89%) cattle. Cow hygiene and farm hygiene scores were indirectly related to the prevalence of pinkeye. Prevalence was also significantly (P<0.05) associated with seasons of the year, being highest in humid summer months while lowest in winter. The prevalence of pinkeye was significantly higher (<0.0001) in cows exposed to sunlight than unexposed ones. Cows on farms performing farm disinfection occasionally had 1.52 times higher odds of being diseased than cows on farms with once-a-week disinfection. Likewise, cows on farms using no fly control program had 2.8 times higher likelihood of pinkeye than those on farms having fly control program. In addition, prevalence of pinkeye was significantly higher (P<0.05) in cows with low body condition scores. It was concluded that Pinkeye is a significant health concern in commercial dairy herds in Pakistan and the risk factors influencing the prevalence of this disease may include cow hygiene, farm management practices, and the environment.

To Cite This Article: Mubeen H, Avais M, Khan JA, Rashid MI, Asif MA, Awais M and Iqbal MZ, 2024. Epidemiology of infectious bovine keratoconjunctivitis (pinkeye): a survey of commercial dairy herds in Pakistan. Pak Vet J. http://dx.doi.org/10.29261/pakvetj/2024.188

 
 
   
 

ISSN 0253-8318 (Print)
ISSN 2074-7764 (Online)



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