Passive-immunity transfer supports recovery of colostrum-deprived camel calves suffering from E. coli- associated Neonatal Diarrhea

Neonatal diarrhea is the most common cause of morbidity and mortality in camels during the first few weeks of life. At this age, colostrum-deprived calves remain more susceptible to enteropathogenic infection due to the failure of passive immunity transfer. In this study, two colostrum-deprived neonatal camel calves presented with profuse watery diarrhea, lethargy, inappetence, fever, recumbency, and a severely dehydrated condition for 3 days. Based on history, clinical examination, fecal bacterial culture, morphological, biochemical, and MALDI-TOF MS analysis of bacterial isolates, the cases were confirmed as E. coli-associated diarrhea. The hematobiochemical evaluation revealed metabolic disturbances in diarrheic calves. Despite standard symptomatic and ancillary therapy, no clinical improvement was observed, and the condition turned critical. However, following convalescent whole blood transfusion, the calves showed clinical recovery within 3 days, along with restoration of key haematological parameters. In conclusion, this is the first report of the successful management of diarrheic camel calves through passive immunity transfer via convalescent blood transfusion. This novel therapeutic approach offers a promising alternative for managing neonatal diarrhea in cases unresponsive to conventional symptomatic therapy.