Effects of age and season on mortality of goats due to infections and malnutrition in northeast Mexico

Abstract

Influences of age and season on occurrence of deaths diagnosed as due to pneumonia, enteritis, pneumoenteritis and malnutrition in goats were studied. Data were from 251 necropsies of dairy and native goats in semiconfinement and on a good health management program in northeast Mexico. Annual mortality was 21.5%. Pneumonia accounted for the majority of losses (55% of all deaths). Using the log-odds method, trends were noted for the youngest animals to be at increased risk of dying due to enteritis (10 times higher than adult animals, P<0.05). Adult animals had the highest risk of dying due to pneumonia and malnutrition (two times higher than young animals, P<0.05). Deaths diagnosed as due to enteritis were significantly higher in summer ( P<0.01) and the occurrence of deaths due to this disease were significantly correlated ( P<0.05) with temperature and precipitation. Significant seasonal patterns in deaths due to pneumonia were not detected. These results suggested that summer months favor the occurrence of deaths due to enteritis and that kids are the most susceptible animals. The incidence of various lesions associated with death of goats of different ages in different seasons will facilitate planning future studies designed to identify specific causative agents and reduce their presence.