USAGE OF SERUM-BASED BIOGENIC PREPARATION FOR TREATING AND PROPHYLAXIS OF DIARRHEA IN LAMBS

Diarrhea in lambs remains one of the most significant problems in sheep farming, negatively affecting animal productivity and the economic efficiency of the industry. Lambs are especially vulnerable during the first two weeks of life and during weaning, when the risk of diarrhea and associated mortality rises sharply. Stress-induced disruption of intestinal barrier function, together with ischemia, hypoxia, villous atrophy, and mucosal damage, facilitates the translocation of pathogens and triggers inflammatory responses. Given the widespread antibiotic resistance among enteropathogenic microorganisms and the substantial role of viral agents in neonatal diarrhea, there is a pressing need for effective alternatives to antibacterial therapy. This study evaluated a biogenic preparation obtained by hyperimmunizing donor animals with antigens from the abomasum, duodenum, and pancreas, combined with antigens from causative agents of infectious enterotoxemia, coronavirus diarrhea, herpesvirus infection, Escherichia coli infection, and salmonellosis. The preparation was administered prophylactically at 5 cm³ once weekly until lambs reached one month of age. Compared with controls, treated lambs showed increased live weight gain, reduced morbidity, and improved hematological, biochemical, and immunological parameters, including higher red blood cell counts, elevated hemoglobin and total serum protein, and reduced white blood cell counts. Indicators of natural resistance—phagocytic activity, phagocytic index, serum bactericidal activity, and lysozyme activity—were also enhanced relative to controls. These findings demonstrate that the biogenic preparation exerts a marked positive effect on the clinical condition of lambs, supporting its use as an effective, antibiotic-sparing tool for preventing and treating neonatal diarrhea in sheep farming.