camels at Qassim region, central of Saudi Arabia

Abstract

This study was executed in Qassim region, central of Saudi Arabia to determine the clinical and therapeutic impact associated with contagious skin necrosis (CSN) in dromedary camels. One thousand dromedary camels were used in this study. The prevalence of contagious skin necrosis among examined camels was 2.70%. The prevalence of the disease was significantly (p = 0.01) higher in camels under three years (4.55%) than camels older than three years (1.49). Concerning gender predisposition, the prevalence was significantly (p = 0.0001) higher in male camels (13.78%) than females ones (1.14%). Clinically, camels infected with contagious skin necrosis showed lesions in the form of multiple circular necrotic areas of the skin and sometimes multiple abscesses in brisket and chest areas. Treatment of the infected camels using Amoxycillin and clavulanic acid gave the same results as penicillin plus streptomycin but it offers a faster cure rate. Finally, it can be concluded that contagious skin necrosis in camels is common in Saudi Arabia and Amoxycillin and clavulanic acid is the best choice for treatment.