The effect of slow-release milk replacer feeding on health and behaviour parameters in dairy breed calves.

The aim of this research paper was to evaluate the effect of a slow-release milk replacer on health and behaviour of neonatal dairy calves. This was done with the potential benefits to welfare during transport in mind. A total of 15 calves were randomly divided into three groups of 5, namely, a control group fed twice in 24 h with 3 l of a conventional milk replacer, a slow-release group fed once in 24 h with 2 l of conventional milk replacer and 1 litre of a specialised micro-encapsulated feed and an enriched-replacer group fed once in 24 h with 3 l of milk replacer enriched with micellar casein.

Evaluation of the optimal strong ion difference concentration of an oral electrolyte and buffering solution for the treatment of neonatal calf diarrhea.

An observational study was conducted to comparatively assess the efficacy of three different oral rehydration and buffering solutions, differentiated by their strong ion difference (SID) concentration, for treatment of neonatal calves with naturally acquired diarrhea. The SID concentrations tested were 100 mM, 170 mM and 230 mM for treatments SID, SID and SID, respectively. Clinical assessment and blood gas analysis were completed for 18 diarrheic calves once pre- and twice post- (6 and 24 hr after) oral administration with one of the three treatments.

Advanced Solid State Nano-Electrochemical Sensors and System for Agri 4.0 Applications.

Global food production needs to increase in order to meet the demands of an ever growing global population. As resources are finite, the most feasible way to meet this demand is to minimize losses and improve efficiency. Regular monitoring of factors like animal health, soil and water quality for example, can ensure that the resources are being used to their maximum efficiency.

Electrochemical detection of bovine immunoglobulins G to determine passive transfer of antibodies to calves.

Bovine antibodies, such as immunoglobulin G (IgG), cannot pass the placental barrier and as such are not transferred from the mother to the foetus, in utero. Instead a calf must absorb antibodies following ingestion of colostrum postpartum. Failure of Passive Transfer (FPT) is a condition that predisposes calves to development of disease and increases the risk of mortality.

Determining the predictive capability of a Clinical Assessment Scoring Chart to differentiate severity of the clinical consequences of neonatal calf diarrhea relative to gold-standard blood gas analysis.

Neonatal calf diarrhea (NCD) is a major problem to calf health worldwide, in terms of both morbidity and mortality. A five-point ordinal scale clinical assessment scoring (CAS) chart was utilized to assess calves suffering from NCD-related clinical abnormalities (acidosis and dehydration) on commercial farms. The objective of this research was to determine the predictive capability of this CAS chart against gold standard blood gas parameters, designed to assist farmers in the accurate assessment of the clinical consequences of NCD.

Comparison of four commercially available ELISA kits for diagnosis of Fasciola hepatica in Irish cattle.

Background: Fasciola hepatica is a liver parasite of mammals and it results in poor welfare outcomes and economic losses in ruminants. While faecal egg count is the test most commonly used for diagnosis, it does not indicate presence of migrating immature stages. Serological techniques increase sensitivity at all stages of the liver fluke infection.

Liver fluke in Irish sheep: prevalence and associations with management practices and co-infection with rumen fluke.

Background: The present study aimed to identify the national prevalence of Fasciola hepatica in Irish sheep and to conduct a risk analysis assessment based on management and treatment practices in participating flocks. Also, co-infection with rumen fluke was quantified and its association with liver fluke and management practices was assessed.

Methods: A total of 305 sheep flocks were selected ensuring even national representation of the sheep population.

A Live Bio-Therapeutic for Mastitis, Containing DPC3147 With Comparable Efficacy to Antibiotic Treatment.

Bovine mastitis is an ongoing significant concern in the dairy and agricultural industry resulting in substantial losses in milk production and revenue. Among the predominant etiological agents of bovine mastitis are , , and Currently, the treatment of choice for bovine mastitis involves the use of commercial therapeutic antibiotic formulations such as Terrexine, containing both kanamycin and cephalexin. Such antibiotics are regularly administered in more than one dose resulting in the withholding of milk for processing for a number of days.

A rapid viability and drug-susceptibility assay utilizing mycobacteriophage as an indicator of drug susceptibilities of Anti-TB drugs against mc 155.

Background: A rapid in-house TM4 mycobacteriophage-based assay, to identify multidrug resistance against various anti-tuberculosis drugs, using the fast-growing Mycobacterium smegmatis mc 155 in a microtiter plate format was evaluated, based on phage viability assays.

Methods: A variety of parameters were optimized before the study including the minimum incubation time for the drugs, phage and M. smegmatis mc 155 to be in contact.

Spatial patterns of Fasciola hepatica and Calicophoron daubneyi infections in ruminants in Ireland and modelling of C. daubneyi infection.

Background: Fasciola hepatica has always represented a threat to Irish livestock because the Irish climate is highly suitable for the main local intermediate host of the parasite, the snail Galba truncatula. The recent clinical emergence of infections due to Calicophoron daubneyi has raised the question of whether the two parasites, which share a niche during part of their life-cycles, interact in some way. Here, we used geographical information systems (GIS) to analyse the distribution of both parasites in cattle and sheep.

Validation of a spatial liver fluke model under field conditions in Ireland.

Fasciola hepatica is the causative agent of fasciolosis, a global disease of a wide range of mammals, particularly sheep and cattle. Liver fluke infection causes annual losses estimated at around €2.5 billion to livestock and food industries worldwide.

Establishing blood gas ranges in healthy bovine neonates differentiated by age, sex, and breed type.

Calf mortality and morbidity commonly occurs within the first month of life postpartum. Standard health ranges are invaluable aids in diagnostic veterinary medicine to confirm normal or the degree and nature of abnormal parameters in (sub)clinically ill animals. Extensive research has indicated significant differences between the physiologies of neonate and adult cattle, particularly for blood parameters such as pH, base excess, anion gap, and bicarbonate (HCO).

Genetic correlations between endo-parasite phenotypes and economically important traits in dairy and beef cattle.

Parasitic diseases have economic consequences in cattle production systems. Although breeding for parasite resistance can complement current control practices to reduce the prevalence globally, there is little knowledge of the implications of such a strategy on other performance traits. Records on individual animal antibody responses to Fasciola hepatica, Ostertagia ostertagi, and Neospora caninum were available from cows in 68 dairy herds (study herds); national abattoir data on F.

Is TB Testing Associated With Increased Blood Interferon-Gamma Levels?

The Republic of Ireland reports a relatively low prevalence of Johne's disease (JD) compared to international counterparts. Postulated reasons for this include a lower average herd size and a grass-based production system. Ireland also engages in high levels of bovine tuberculosis (bTB) testing.

Associations between exposure to bovine herpesvirus 1 (BoHV-1) and milk production, reproductive performance, and mortality in Irish dairy herds.

As cost-benefit analyses are required to prioritize and promote disease control and eradication programs within a jurisdiction, national data relating to disease-related production losses are particularly useful. The objectives of the current study were to use Irish bovine herpesvirus 1 (BoHV-1) prevalence data in dairy herds, obtained by bulk milk sampling on 4 occasions over the 2009 lactation, to document associations between milk production, fertility performance, mortality, and BoHV-1 herd status. Bulk milk (n = 305) antibody ELISA was used to classify farms as positive or negative in terms of endemic BoHV-1.

Rumen fluke in Irish sheep: prevalence, risk factors and molecular identification of two paramphistome species.

Background: Rumen flukes are trematode parasites found globally; in tropical and sub-tropical climates, infection can result in paramphistomosis, which can have a deleterious impact on livestock. In Europe, rumen fluke is not regarded as a clinically significant parasite, recently however, the prevalence of rumen fluke has sharply increased and several outbreaks of clinical paramphistomosis have been reported. Gaining a better understanding of rumen fluke transmission and identification of risk factors is crucial to improve the control of this parasitic disease.

An observational study using blood gas analysis to assess neonatal calf diarrhea and subsequent recovery with a European Commission-compliant oral electrolyte solution.

An observational study was conducted on dairy calves (51 healthy, 31 with neonatal diarrhea) during outbreaks of diarrhea on 4 dairy farms. Clinical assessment scores (CAS) were assigned to each healthy and diarrheic calf [from 0 (healthy) to 4 (marked illness)]. Blood gas analysis [pH, base excess (BE), Na(+), K(+), Ca(2+), Cl(-), glucose, total hemoglobin, standard HCO3(-), strong ion difference (SID), and anion gap (AG)] was completed for each calf.

Prevalence of BoHV-1 seropositive and BVD virus positive bulls on Irish dairy farms and associations between bull purchase and herd status.

Background: BVD and IBR are contagious viral diseases highly prevalent in Irish cattle. Despite their significant reproductive and economic impact very little is known about the BVD and IBR status of stock bulls (a bull used for breeding purposes). There are still a high proportion of dairy farms in Ireland that rely on the use of a bull for breeding cattle and ensuring the fertility of the bulls is of paramount importance for the efficiency of the farms.

Determining the Prevalence and Seasonality of Fasciola hepatica in Pasture-based Dairy herds in Ireland using a Bulk Tank Milk ELISA.

Background: Fasciola hepatica is a helminth parasite of global importance in livestock, with major economic impact. However information on F. hepatica infections in Irish pasture-based dairy herds is limited.

Impact of three inactivated bovine viral diarrhoea virus vaccines on bulk milk p80 (NS3) ELISA test results in dairy herds.

Bovine viral diarrhoea virus (BVDV) is endemic in many countries and vaccines are used as a component of control and eradication strategies. Surveillance programmes to detect exposure to BVDV often incorporate the use of bulk milk (BM) testing for antibodies against BVDV p80 (NS3), but vaccination can interfere with these results. The aim of this study was to evaluate whether BVDV vaccines would confound BM testing for specific antibodies in a nationally representative group of commercial dairy farms in the Republic of Ireland.

Prevalence and seasonality of bulk milk antibodies against Dictyocaulus viviparus and Ostertagia ostertagi in Irish pasture-based dairy herds.

Infections with Dictyocaulus viviparus and Ostertagia ostertagi nematode parasites are of importance to bovine health and production in temperate areas across the world. Losses due to these parasites in dairy herds can be considerable due to decreased milk productivity and fertility. However, information on current epidemiological patterns in Irish dairy herds is limited.

A survey of management practices on Irish dairy farms with emphasis on risk factors for Johne's disease transmission.

Background: Johne's disease (JD) is a chronic granulomatous enteritis affecting ruminants. A number of farm management practices are associated with increased risk of JD transmission. The aim of the current study was to document JD-related management practices currently employed on Irish dairy farms.

The Single Intradermal Cervical Comparative Test Interferes with Johne's Disease ELISA Diagnostics.

Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays (ELISA) of milk and serum samples are a routinely used method of screening herds for Mycobacterium avium subspecies paratuberculosis (MAP). Infection with MAP causes granulomatous enteritis of ruminants known as Johne's disease (JD). The sensitivity (Se) and specificity (Sp) of MAP ELISAs leads to difficulties in the identification of both infected and infectious animals.

Parasite control practices on pasture-based dairy farms in the Republic of Ireland.

Dictyocaulus viviparus, Ostertagia ostertagi (nematode parasites), and Fasciola hepatica (trematode parasite) result in productivity losses on dairy farms and impact on animal health through clinical and sub-clinical disease. Parasite control in livestock systems is largely based on the use of chemoprophylactic agents (anthelmintics), grazing management, or a combination of both. The objective of this study was to document current parasite control measures employed by Irish dairy farmers in a predominantly pasture-based livestock system.