Investigation of viral and bacterial enteropathogens of diarrheic sheep and goats in Medina, Saudi Arabia.

Diarrhea is a serious problem in sheep and goat farming, causing great economic losses. Most viral and bacterial enteropathogens of diarrheic sheep and goats are considered foodborne pathogens with a potential to be zoonotic. The present study investigated the prevalence of some viral and bacterial enteropathogens in diarrheic sheep and goats between October 2015and February 2016 in Medina, Saudi Arabia. A total of 310 fecal samples were collected from diarrheic sheep (n=193) and goats (n=117). The samples were screened for the presence of rotavirus and bovine coronavirus (BCoV) using Sandwich (ELISA) technique. The bacterial enteropathogens were isolated and identified biochemically and the virulence factors of Escherichia coli were determined by using PCR. Escherichia coli was the most prevalent agent in both sheep and goats (34.7% and 30.7%, respectively). According to the expressed virulence genes, Enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli (ETEC) was detect in 34.3% of sheep isolates and 30.6% of goats isolates. Salmonella species was isolated from 3.6% of sheep and 2.6% of goats. Klebsiella species was isolated from 1.6% of sheep but not from goats. Regarding viral agents, rotavirus was found in 31.6% of sheep and 27.4% of goats, while BCoV was detected in 19.6% of the sheep and 16.2% of the goats. The prevalence of bacterial and viral enteropathogens was significantly higher in the 0-12 months age group compared to the older age groups. Double infection was the most common (53.0%) infection pattern compared to single (37.5%) and triple (9.5%) infections. Rotavirus infection was significantly associated with ETEC infection. In conclusion, we report high prevalence of rotavirus and ETEC in sheep and goats, which are of veterinary and public health importance. This study provides valuable data on the prevalence of viral and bacterial enteropathogens in sheep and goats in Medina, Saudi Arabia that will be useful to develop control measures for these pathogens.