Bacterial pneumonia in goats: Prevalence and epidemiological patterns

Abstract

Pneumonia is a major respiratory disorder in goats, contributing significantly to morbidity and mortality. This study was conducted over a nine-month period to determine the incidence and epidemiological patterns of bacterial pneumonia in goats from the Banaskantha region of Gujarat. A total of 178 goats presenting with clinical signs of respiratory illness were screened, and deep nasal swab samples were collected for bacterial isolation and identification. Bacterial pneumonia was confirmed in 82 goats, with an overall incidence of 46.06% (82/178). Age-wise analysis revealed a significantly higher prevalence in goats aged 1-2 years (47.56%) (P<0.05). Sex-wise distribution indicated a significantly higher occurrence in females (71.95%) compared to males (28.04%) (P?0.01). Seasonal evaluation demonstrated a significantly higher prevalence during winter (76.82%) (P?0.01). These findings highlight the influence of host and environmental factors on the occurrence of bacterial pneumonia in goats.