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, 44(3): 667-674.
http://dx.doi.org/10.29261/pakvetj/2024.188