Contribution to the Study of Abscess Disease in the Dromedary (<em>Camelus dromedarius</em>) in Nefzaoua Region (<i<southwest of Tunisia</em>)

Abstract

Results of an epidemiological, clinical and bacteriological survey about the abscesses disease in Nefzaoua region (southwest of Tunisia) are presented. It concerned 33 herds in extensive conditions and also animals exploited in the touristic sector. Clinical and bacteriological examinations were carried out on 38 animals from these herds. The disease was generally characterized by one or two abscesses in the external lymph nodes, usually in those at the base of the neck, and the prescapular nodes. The internal form of the disease was not observed in 72 camels slaughtered at the region slaughterhouse. Nine per cent of the animals had abscesses. Generally, the disease was observed in the young less than one year old. The main factors that caused onset of the disease were tattooing, mixing animals from different herds and tick infection. Different bacteria were isolated, in particular staphylococci (53% of cases), Corynebacterium pseudotuberculosis (18%) and Actinomyces pyogenes (26%).

Keywords

• Camelus dromedarius
• Lymphadénite
• Abcès
• Epidémiologie
• Tunisie