A Collaborative Response to the COVID-19 Challenge: Developing an International Platform for Sharing E-learning Materials for Veterinary Education.

When the COVID-19 pandemic swept through Europe in 2020, veterinary educational institutions faced new challenges overnight: distance learning became imperative, and teachers were forced to develop e-learning material on the fly. As a response to the unfortunate situation, veterinary faculties at three European universities (Utrecht, Copenhagen, Helsinki) applied for and received an Erasmus+ grant to develop an international platform for sharing veterinary e-learning material. Technical and administrative challenges caused a slow start.

Differentiating airway inflammation in calves based on cluster analysis of bronchoalveolar lavage fluid cytology.

Background: Nonbronchoscopic bronchoalveolar lavage (nBAL) is routinely performed in calves, and airway cytology has great potential in airway disease diagnostics. A good reference framework for nBAL cytology is lacking.

Objectives: To distinguish different cytological profiles in nBAL from grouped housed calves using cluster analysis, and characterize these profiles on individual and herd levels.

Differences in the association of cough and other clinical signs with ultrasonographic lung consolidation in dairy, veal, and beef calves.

Bovine respiratory disease (BRD) continues to be a leading cause of economic loss, hampered animal welfare, and intensive antimicrobial use in cattle operations worldwide. Reduction of antimicrobial use is hindered because it is still unclear which clinical signs are best monitored to reliably detect pneumonia. Also, these clinical signs may vary according to age and between breeds.

Randomized field trial comparing the efficacy of florfenicol and oxytetracycline in a natural outbreak of calf pneumonia using lung reaeration as a cure criterion.

Background: Respiratory infections are the main indication for antimicrobial use in calves. Optimal treatment duration currently is unknown, but shorter duration would likely decrease selection for antimicrobial resistance.

Hypothesis/objectives: Determine differences in cure rate and healing time between animals treated with florfenicol and oxytetracycline in a natural outbreak of respiratory disease using reaeration observed on thoracic ultrasound examination as healing criterion.

Particulate matter and airborne endotoxin concentration in calf barns and their association with lung consolidation, inflammation, and infection.

Agricultural operations are important sources of organic dust containing particulate matter (PM) and endotoxins, which have possible negative health consequences for both humans and animals. Dust concentrations and composition in calf barns, as well as the potential health effects for these animals, are scarcely documented. The objective of this study was to measure PM fractions and endotoxin concentrations in calf barns and study their associations with lung consolidation, respiratory tract inflammation, and infection in group-housed calves.