The impact of bacterial and viral diseases on dromedary camel (Camelus dromedarius) welfare: a comprehensive review

基本信息

• 作者：Syed Faizan Ali Shah; Mohamed Tharwat; Abdul Rehman; Fahad A. Alshanbari
• DOI：10.3389/fvets.2026.1795334
• 原文链接：https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fvets.2026.1795334
• 数据来源：rss:frontiers-veterinary-science-rss
• 抓取时间：2026-05-30T18:53:29+00:00
• Markdown 文件：/root/worksplace/paper-tracker/exports/obsidian/2026-05-29-the-impact-of-bacterial-and-viral-diseases-on-dromedary-camel-(camelus-dromedarius)-welfare-a-comprehensive-r.md

摘要

Dromedary camels (Camelus dromedarius) are vital to food security, livelihoods and cultural identity in arid and semi-arid regions of Africa, the Middle East and South Asia, with global populations exceeding 35–40 million and continuing to rise as climate change favors livestock adapted to harsh environments. Despite their expanding roles in meat and milk production, transport, tourism and racing, camel health and welfare remain comparatively underexplored, particularly regarding infectious diseases. This review synthesizes current knowledge on major bacterial infections, including brucellosis, tuberculosis, mastitis, suppurative infections, salmonellosis, and clostridial diseases, as well as important viral diseases such as Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus, camel pox, Rift Valley fever, rabies, contagious ecthyma, and peste des petits ruminants, with a focus on their implications for animal welfare. These diseases commonly lead to acute and chronic pain, fever, respiratory compromise, reproductive failure, debilitation, and mortality, and are associated with physiological stress responses such as activation of the hypothalamic–pituitary–adrenal axis and increased acute-phase proteins, alongside behavioral changes including lethargy, reduced grooming, altered social interactions, and impaired maternal and working behaviors. Using the Five Freedoms and the Five Domains Model frameworks, this review demonstrates how infectious diseases undermine multiple dimensions of camel welfare, including nutrition, physical comfort, health, behavior, and mental state. Beyond individual animals, camel diseases have significant socioeconomic and ethical implications. Several pathogens are zoonotic, posing risks to pastoralists, veterinarians, and other stakeholders, and influencing trade regulations, disease control strategies, and culling practices, which may further exacerbate welfare compromise. Key knowledge gaps remain, including the lack of validated camel-specific welfare assessment tools, limited longitudinal data on welfare trajectories during disease outbreaks, and insufficient integration of welfare indicators into surveillance and control programs. The review highlights priority research and policy needs, including the development of field-adapted welfare scoring systems, evaluation of welfare impacts of interventions such as vaccination and movement restrictions, and stronger integration of animal welfare into One Health and One Welfare frameworks to support sustainable camel production and resilient dryland livelihoods.

中文整理

基础摘要（未启用或未成功调用大模型）：Dromedary camels ( Camelus dromedarius ) are vital to food security, livelihoods and cultural identity in arid and semi-arid regions of Africa, the Middle East and South Asia, with global populations exceeding 35–40 million and continuing to rise as climate change favors livestock adapted to harsh environments. Despite their expanding roles in meat and milk production, transport, tourism and racing, camel health and welfare remain comparatively underexplored, particularly regarding infectious diseases. This review synthesizes current knowledge on major bacterial infections, including brucellosis, tuberculosis, mastitis, suppurative infections, salmonellosis, and clostridial diseases, as well

关键词标签

相关性说明

命中 行为识别 关键词：behavior；命中 清洁度/健康评估 关键词：welfare