Abstract
Low colostrum intake at birth results in the failure of passive transfer (FPT) due to the inadequate ingestion of colostral immunoglobulins (Ig). FPT is associated with an increased risk of mortality and decreased health and longevity. Despite the known management practices associated with low FPT, it remains an important issue in the field. Neither a quantitative analysis of FPT consequences nor an assessment of its total cost are available. To address this point, a meta-analysis on the adjusted associations between FPT and its outcomes was first performed. Then, the total costs of FPT in European systems were calculated using a stochastic method with adjusted values as the input parameters. The adjusted risks (and 95% confidence intervals) for mortality, bovine respiratory disease, diarrhoea and overall morbidity in the case of FPT were 2.12 (1.43–3.13), 1.75 (1.50–2.03), 1.51 (1.05–2.17) and 1.91 (1.63–2.24), respectively. The mean (and 95% prediction interval) total costs per calf with FPT were estimated to be €60 (€10–109) and €80 (€20–139) for dairy and beef, respectively. As a result of the double-step stochastic method, the proposed economic estimation constitutes the first estimate available for FPT. The results are presented in a way that facilitates their use in the field and, with limited effort, combines the cost of each contributor to increase the applicability of the economic assessment to the situations farm-advisors may face. The present economic estimates are also an important tool to evaluate the profitability of measures that aim to improve colostrum intake and FPT prevention.
Highlights
The failure of the neonatal calf to absorb adequate colostral immunoglobulins (Ig) within the first hours of life results in failure of passive transfer (FPT)
The sensitivity analysis showed no outlier for the metaregression without a moderator, but doubt exists regarding model #4 (S2 Table) when the moderator FTPDIAG2 was considered based on DIFFTS and cov and τ2 statistics
The present work proposed an adjusted risk of mortality, diarrhoea, and BRD in cases of FPT
Summary
The failure of the neonatal calf to absorb adequate colostral immunoglobulins (Ig) within the first hours of life results in failure of passive transfer (FPT). FPT leads to an increased risk of mortality and decreased health and longevity. Depending on how FPT and livestock systems are defined, the prevalence of FPT is reported to reach 20 to 40% of newborn calves [1,2]. Mortality linked to FPT has been reported as ranging from 8 to 25%. Ensuring that calves drink enough colostrum within a few hours of birth is a powerful way to reduce FPT and its PLOS ONE | DOI:10.1371/journal.pone.0150452. Ensuring that calves drink enough colostrum within a few hours of birth is a powerful way to reduce FPT and its PLOS ONE | DOI:10.1371/journal.pone.0150452 March 17, 2016
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