Reproductive Diseases and Disorders of Female Camels: An Assessment and Pathological and Bacteriological Study in Eastern Ethiopia

Abstract

Camels are the most efficient domesticated animals in arid and semiarid areas of the world. In Ethiopia, they are the main livestock kept to sustain the livelihoods of pastoralists, as camels are used for milk and meat production and also for transportation. However, she-camel reproductive diseases are one of the major constraints for camel-producing communities. A cross-sectional study was conducted from November 2018 to December 2019 to identify and characterize pathological lesions and isolate possible bacteria associated with reproductive diseases and disorders in she-camels slaughtered at Dire Dawa and Babille municipal abattoirs. A total of 155 study animals were examined by recruiting all she-camels slaughtered during every abattoir visit. Overall, 562 reproductive organs, the ovaries, oviducts, uterus, and cervix, were examined through observation, palpation, and incision, and the animal- and organ-level pathological lesion prevalence were found to be 29% and 64.6%, respectively. Degenerative changes, inflammatory lesions (endometritis and salpingitis), growth disturbances (e.g., ovarian hypoplasia), and noninflammatory lesions (e.g., noninflammatory edema) were the identified pathological lesions. Occurrences of pathological changes among reproductive organs had differences where significantly the highest proportion ( p = 0.00) was observed in the uteri. Of the 119 microbiological samples processed, 77.3% were positive for single or mixed bacterial genera, from which 7 different bacterial isolates and 14 other unidentified Gram-negative bacteria were detected. E. coli, Salmonella, and Staphylococcus spp. were the most frequently isolated organisms with 28.2%, 26.9%, and 12.8% frequencies, respectively. The result of the questionnaire survey showed 74% of the respondents had culled the she-camel at productive age because of poor reproductive performance associated with refused mating, abortion, and repeat breeding (poor conception). On the other hand, a majority of camel herders had poor to no information and access to modern veterinary services; nevertheless, they had good indigenous knowledge on how to manage reproductive abnormalities. Considering the importance of camels in our study area, further research on camel reproductive diseases and abnormalities with wider sample and epidemiology need to be conducted using molecular and hormonal assay techniques.

Pathological and Bacteriological Assessment of Reproductive Organ Disorders in She Camels in Somali, Eastern Ethiopia

“…Of the total genital tracts examined, 36% (18/50) of organs had at least one gross pathological lesion of the reproductive systems. The organ-level pathological lesion of the genital tract was in line with the earlier reports of Getahun et al 52 in central Ethiopia that reported 34.2% and lower than Belina et al 54 who reported 64.6% pathological lesion in Eastern Ethiopia.…”

“…Based on the anatomical classification in the present study, uterine abnormality 9 (18.0%), followed by cervicovaginal abnormality 6 (12.0%), and ovarian abnormality 3 (6.0%) were the most prevalent. The uterine abnormalities 9 (18.0%) found in this research were lower than Belina et al 54 in Eastern Ethiopia and who reported 41.2%. It was comparable to Getahun et al 52 in Addis Ababa, Adama, and Akaki abattoirs and Wajid 43 in Iraq, who reported 21.4% and 20%, respectively.…”

“…The prevalence of follicular cysts and inactive/hypoplastic ovaries in dromedary camels was 4% and 2%, respectively. It was lower than Getahun et al 52 in Addis Ababa, Adama, and Akaki (7.14%) and Belina et al 54 in Eastern Ethiopia (35.3%). This might be related to the fact that dromedary camels are prone to developing follicular ovarian cysts in the absence of coitus.…”

“… 16 , 20 , 61–64 The uterus is exposed to infection risks throughout a she-camel’s reproductive life, especially during breeding and after parturition, when various microorganisms are carried into the uterine cavity from the posterior part of the genitalia or the environment, and partial or complete failure of these mechanisms allows the infection to take hold. 15 , 54 …”

Oxidative stress, ceruloplasmin and neopterin biomarkers in dromedary camels with clinical endometritis

“…The reproductive disorders of the dromedary camel have not been studied as thoroughly as they are in the bovine. The prevalence of pathological disorders among reproductive organs had differences, where the highest proportion was observed in the uterus (Belina et al, 2021). Endometritis is one of the most common disorders, causing decreased fertility and high economic losses (Wernerry and Kumar, 1994).…”