Study of Morbidity, Mortality and Disease in Colombian Mixed Race Foals During their First 30 Days of Life in Bogota’s Savannah

Abstract

A prospective cohort study was conducted for one year in 35 Colombian mixed race horse farms in the savannah of Bogota. A follow-up was made to 192 foals born alive during this period, births that were registered throughout the entire study year, due to the tropical conditions of the evaluated region, and the management factors of the studied farms were characterized. A morbidity rate of 27.7/100/year and a mortality of 0.7/100/year were determined in the first 30 days of life. The incidence rate of the most observed diseases was febrile syndrome (5.7/100/year), respiratory illness with fever (4.9/100/year) and diarrhea with fever (3.9/100/year). It was also determined that in the first 48 hours of life the highest incidence of disease is presented with 60.9% foals/week, mostly caused by angular and flexural deformities, febrile syndrome, respiratory illness and diarrhea with fever. Subsequently, morbidity decreases until the 30th day of life, when an incidence of 11% occurs, mainly because of respiratory illness with fever.