Percentage of reactor animals to single comparative cervical intradermal tuberculin (SCCIT) in small ruminants in Punjab Pakistan

To investigate the percentage reactor animals to SCCIT in sheep and goat the present study was carried out by using bovine and avian PPDs at 7 Livestock Experiment Stations of Punjab and villages around two cities. The overall percentage of reactor animals to SCCIT at farms in sheep and goat was 0.9% and 2.4%, while it was 0.4% and 0.0% around two cities, respectively. Hundred percent of goat and 86% of sheep farms under study had positive reactor animals. The reactor animals to SCCIT around two cities were 0% in goat and 0.4% in sheep. Goats (P<0.05) and sheep (P<0.001) kept with large ruminants at farms had higher percentage of reactor animals. Age showed significant (P<0.01) association with tuberculosis in sheep and goat. in goats of more than 6 years of age, the reactor animals to SCCIT were 5, 8 and 11 times higher than goats of 4.1-6, 3-4 and <3 years of age. The reactor animals were significantly (P<0.05) higher in goats of <30 kg (3.5%) and >40 kg (3.5%) body weights, while these were less in goats weighing between 30 and 40 kg (1.5%). Sheep and goat breeds showed significant (P<0.001; P<0.05) difference in percentage of reactor animals to SCCIT. Beetal (3.9%) and Teddy breeds (2.9%) had 3.3 and 2.4 times higher percentages of reactor animals to SCCIT as compared to Pak-Angora (1.2%) breed. However, no animal of Nachhi and Dera Din Pinah breeds showed positive reaction to PPDs. (C) 2009 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.