Calf diarrhea is a major economic burden for the US cattle industry. A variety of infectious agents are implicated in calf diarrhea and co-infection of multiple pathogens is not uncommon in diarrheic calves. A case-control study was conducted to assess infectious etiologies associated with calf diarrhea in Midwest cattle farms. A total of 199 and 245 fecal samples were obtained from diarrheic and healthy calves, respectively, from 165 cattle farms. Samples were tested by a panel of multiplex PCR assays for 11 enteric pathogens: bovine rotavirus group A (BRV-A), bovine coronavirus (BCoV), bovine viral diarrhea virus (BVDV), bovine enterovirus (BEV), bovine norovirus (BNoV), Nebovirus, bovine torovirus (BToV) Salmonella spp. (Salmonella), Escherichia coli (E. coli) K99(+), Clostridium perfringens with β toxin gene and Cryptosporidium parvum (C. parvum). The association between diarrhea and detection of each pathogen was analyzed using a multivariate logistic regression model. More than a half of the fecal samples from the diarrheic calves had multiple pathogens. Statistically, BRV-A, BCoV, BNoV, Nebovirus, Salmonella, E. coli K99(+), and C. parvum were significantly associated with calf diarrhea (p<0.05). Among them, C. parvum and BRV-A were considered to be the most common enteric pathogens for calf diarrhea with high detection frequency (33.7% and 27.1%) and strong odds ratio (173 and 79.9). Unexpectedly BNoV (OR=2.0) and Nebovirus (OR=16.7) were identified with high frequency in diarrheic calves, suggesting these viruses may have a significant contribution to calf diarrhea.
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http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.vetmic.2013.07.001 | DOI Listing |
Life (Basel)
December 2024
Department of Animal Engineering, Yangling Vocational & Technical College, Yangling 712100, China.
Calf diarrhea is a prevalent and significant health issue in dairy farming, severely impacting feed intake, weight gain, and survival rates in young calves. This study aimed to investigate the microbial composition and antibiotic resistance profiles of diarrheic calves to provide insights into the epidemiology and management of the condition. The prevalence of diarrhea in 1685 calves was analyzed.
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January 2025
Clinic for Ruminants with Ambulatory and Herd Health Services, Centre for Clinical Veterinary Medicine, Ludwig-Maximilians-University, 80539 Munich, Germany.
Prepartum vaccinations against neonatal calf diarrhea pathogens are administered in late pregnancy to provide passive immunity to calves through protective colostral antibodies. Potential non-specific effects of the vaccine on maternal innate immune responses and disease susceptibility during the sensitive transition period have not been addressed so far. In this retrospective study, data from 73,378 dairy cows on 20 farms in Germany were analyzed, using linear mixed-effects regression, quantile regression, and decision-tree-algorithms, to investigate the effects of prepartum vaccination on mammary health and milk yield by comparing non-vaccinated and vaccinated transition periods.
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January 2025
Department of Population Medicine, University of Guelph, Guelph, ON N1G 2W1, Canada.
The objective of this narrative review is to provide a systematic framework for veterinarians to investigate dairy calf health, focusing on critical control points and key performance indicators (KPIs) to address morbidity and mortality challenges in preweaned calves. Recommendations target prenatal maternal nutrition, heat stress abatement, and optimal calving management to minimize risks associated with perinatal mortality and preweaning morbidity. Further, comprehensive colostrum management is discussed to ensure excellent transfer of passive immunity, which includes prompt collection and feeding within two hours of birth at a volume of 8.
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January 2025
Clinique Vétérinaire des Mazets, 15400 Riom es Montagnes, France.
()-caused calf diarrhoea (scours) is widespread and leads to calf mortality in cattle industries worldwide. A recent discovery of a glycopeptide epitope on the parasite recognized by a monoclonal antibody has led to the development of a new vaccine. It was designed for cows to pass on passive immunity to their neonatal calves.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFJ Vet Med Sci
January 2025
Joint Department of Veterinary Medicine, Faculty of Agriculture, Tottori University.
A 24-day-old female Japanese Black calf presented a sudden paraplegia after a history of watery diarrhea. Antemortem magnetic resonance imaging confirmed the suspicion of thrombotic component in the abdominal aorta, without any spinal cord abnormality at the lumbar region. On necropsy, a massive thrombus occupied the lumen from the distal abdominal aorta to the bifurcation of the external iliac arteries.
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