The prevalence of selected diseases and syndromes affecting Barki sheep with special emphasis on their economic impact

This work explored the prevalence of certain diseases and syndromes affecting adult and young Barki sheep, with an assessment of the consequent economic losses. A surveillance study was conducted by collecting accurate records of 4500 adult Barki sheep and 5580 lambs belonging to 22 farms. The results showed that the overall prevalence of pneumonia, Oestrus ovis infestation, and abscesses in adult sheep was 27%, 24%, and 16%, respectively, and the times of year with the greatest prevalence of each disease were winter, summer, and spring, respectively. With regard to lambs, the overall prevalence of pneumonia and diarrhoea was 18% and 13%, respectively, and both conditions were particularly prevalent during autumn. Pneumonia, O. ovis infestation, and abscesses cost 35 Egyptian pounds (EGP), 40 EGP, and 21 EGP for rams and 19.5 EGP, 19.5 EGP, and 15.6 EGP for ewes, respectively. These disparities in cost were attributable to the differences in weight between the genders. This was also true for lambs; it is interesting to note that pneumonia and diarrhoea cost 25.4 EGP and 13.05 for male lambs and 12 EGP and 2.07 EGP for female lambs.