Sick Calf Research Articles

A case study on anthrax in an eight-month old infant at Kyrgyz Republic.

Anthrax remains a threat, especially in countries like Kyrgyzstan with developed livestock farming. Despite preventive efforts, sporadic outbreaks endure on an annual basis, transmitted from infected animals to humans. Here, we report a severe anthrax case in an 8-month-old child known to be caused when a sick calf was slaughtered in the neighborhood without proper protocols, resulting in intra-family infection. This underscores the importance of swift diagnosis, treatment, preventive measures, and awareness of zoonotic infections, animal vaccination and adherence to sanitary and veterinary protocols.

Screening antivirals with a mCherry-expressing recombinant bovine respiratory syncytial virus: a proof of concept using cyclopamine

Bovine respiratory syncytial virus (BRSV) is a pathogenic pneumovirus and a major cause of acute respiratory infections in calves. Although different vaccines are available against BRSV, their efficiency remains limited, and no efficient and large-scale treatment exists. Here, we developed a new reverse genetics system for BRSV expressing the red fluorescent protein mCherry, based on a field strain isolated from a sick calf in Sweden. Although this recombinant fluorescent virus replicated slightly less efficiently compared to the wild type virus, both viruses were shown to be sensitive to the natural steroidal alkaloid cyclopamine, which was previously shown to inhibit human RSV replication. Our data thus point to the potential of this recombinant fluorescent BRSV as a powerful tool in preclinical drug discovery to enable high throughput compound screening.

Macrophage-activating factor of bovine colostrum promotes phagocytic activity of murine macrophages and bovine phagocytes

Periparturient dairy cows and their newborn calves are highly prone to health complications. Enhancing the innate immune system of these animals is essential to mitigate the transition period stress and promote their health. Macrophage activating factor (MAF) possess immunomodulatory properties and is believed to enhance immune response. In the present study, the impact of different concentrations (10, 50, 100 ng) of MAF on the phagocytic activity (PA) of murine and bovine phagocytoses was explored. MAF synthesized from IgA of cow colostrum was studied for its effect on the phagocytic index (PI) of cow colostrum macrophages (Mφ) and blood neutrophils (sick and healthy calves) under in vitro conditions. Besides, the impact of MAF on the PI of peritoneal Mφ of healthy and immunocompromised mice was studied. PI of healthy Mφ (mice peritoneal and cow colostrum) and healthy neutrophils (blood calf) increased significantly (P < 0.05) after MAF supplementation. MAF also significantly (P < 0.05) increased the PI of neutrophils and Mφ obtained from sick calf and immunocompromised mice, respectively. Results indicate that colostrum MAF can be used as a potential immune modulator to promote immunity and fight infections in dairy animals.

ISOLATION OF ROTAVIRUS FROM A SICK CALF AND OPTIMIZATION OF ITS CULTIVATION PARAMETERS

The article is devoted to the isolation of rotavirus from a sick calf and optimization of its cultivation parameters in the transplanted lines of homologous and heterologous cell cultures. Rotavirus isolate was isolated in MDBK cell culture, which was confirmed in polymerase chain reaction and neutralization reaction, from the faeces of a sick calf. A method of culturing the isolated isolate in homologous (MDBK) and heterologous (SPEV) cell culture has been worked out. The cultivation of rotavirus in an alkaline medium and its treatment with trypsin at a concentration of 20 mcg/ml and the introduction of trypsin into a supportive medium (15 mcg/ml) led to an increase in the titer of the virus to 8.0–8.25 lg TCD50/ml. It was found that the accumulation of isolated rotavirus in the rollers led to an increase in the yield of the virus and an increase in its titer to 8.5 lg TCD50/ml. The isolated rotavirus isolate has antigenic properties and leads to the formation of an immune response when administered intramuscularly to rabbits.

Describing motivation for health and treatment decisions and communication choices of calf-care workers on western United States dairies

On large dairy farms, animal health assessments and treatments are made by farm employees. Little is known about how employees make decisions about illness detection or treatment, information critical to improving antimicrobial stewardship. The objectives of this study were to describe calf-care employee motivations for decisions associated with preweaned calf health and treatments, describe on-farm worker communication networks, and determine information sources used by these employees to support their decisions. Personal interviews were conducted with 103 calf-care employees on 28 farms in the western United States. The interview consisted of 10 motivation source type (MST) questions and questions about training, communication and educational opportunities. A latent class analysis created a summary for MST and resulted in 4 classes. Forty-three percent of calf-care employees fell into a class where responses were a combination of internal and intrinsic (personal beliefs or values and task fulfillment, respectively) and 23% were a combination of internal and goal internal (aligned with organizational goals). This latter class aligned health decisions with internal motivation and treatment decisions with goal internal. A network analysis summarized dominant communication relationships and established that feeders and treaters perceived more communication with supervisors than was reciprocated by supervisors, and that there was less communication between workers and management for tasks relative to daily work. Employee training was primarily done by herdsman, calf manager, or coworkers, and information for skill improvement and problem solving was sought from these individuals. Although veterinarians were not often involved in employee training, when they were involved, employees were likely to use them as an information source for skill improvement and problem solving. Few participants had ever used social media, but almost all had a device that could access the internet; more than 60% indicated interest in a social media platform for work-related information. Work motivation for many calf caretakers appeared to be sourced from personal beliefs, values, and job fulfillment, particularly when deciding to treat a sick calf. Investigation and incorporation of beliefs and values in training programs could help with alignment of protocols with actual treatment and further efforts to implement judicious use of antimicrobials.

Using behavior as an early predictor of sickness in veal calves

The objective of this study was to analyze whether changes in behavior can be a good early predictor of sickness in calves. Friesian males calves (n = 325; 30 ± 9 d of age; 65 ± 15 kg) were monitored with an activity-monitoring device from 30 to 90 d of life in 4 periods corresponding to 4 seasons. The activity-monitoring device measured number of steps, number of lying bouts, lying time, and frequency and time of visits to the feed bunk. Calf health status was monitored daily and all incidences were recorded. To compare sick and healthy calves, a matched pair design was used to assign calves into the healthy group. Day 0 was defined as the day of sickness diagnosis. For each sick calf, 3 calves with no signs of sickness during the entire period (healthy calves) on the same date, in the same season, and of similar age (±4 d) and weight at entry were identified. A multivariate linear mixed model was used from d -10 to +10 relative to the sickness diagnosis to describe differences between sick and healthy calves. A multivariate logistic regression model was used for predicting sick calves on the days before the diagnosis. Significance was declared at P < 0.05. Daily, healthy calves had 1,476 ± 195 steps, spent 185 ± 32.5 min at the feed bunk, consumed 10 ± 1.1 meals, had 19.5 ± 1.8 lying bouts, and spent an average of 978 ± 30.5 min lying. The difference in behavior between sick (n = 33) and healthy calves (n = 99) began to be evident on d -10. Sick calves had fewer steps and numbers of visits to the feed bunk on d -1 and 0 and spent less time at the feed bunk on d -10 and -1 compared with healthy calves. From d -2 to d 9, sick calves had 15% fewer lying bouts, with no difference in lying time except on d -10, when sick calves spent more time lying. The best prediction model was for d -1 and included season and age at entry as qualifying variables, and frequency of visits to the feed bunk, steps, and lying time as behavior predictors (69% sensitivity, 72% specificity, 72% accuracy, 55% false discovery rate, and 12% false omission rate). However, an earlier prediction would be more useful to reduce the negative effect of sickness on production and welfare. The prediction model for d -10 had 67% sensitivity, 67% specificity, 67% accuracy, 60% false discovery rate, and 14% false omission rate. Results indicate that the occurrence of sickness can be predicted in advance, and an automated alarm system could be used to identify calves at risk of becoming sick and apply a preventive treatment.

Evaluation of applying statistical process control techniques to daily average feeding behaviors to detect disease in automatically fed group-housed preweaned dairy calves

Group housing and computerized feeding of preweaned dairy calves are gaining in popularity among dairy producers, yet disease detection remains a challenge for this management system. The aim of this study was to investigate the application of statistical process control charting techniques to daily average feeding behavior to predict and detect illness and to describe the diagnostic test characteristics of using this technique to find a sick calf compared with detection by calf personnel. This prospective cross-sectional study was conducted on 10 farms in Minnesota (n = 4) and Virginia (n = 6) utilizing group housing and computerized feeding from February until October 2014. Calves were enrolled upon entrance to the group pen. Calf personnel recorded morbidity and mortality events. Farms were visited either every week (MN) or every other week (VA) to collect calf enrollment data, computer-derived feeding behavior data, and calf personnel-recorded calf morbidity and mortality. Standardized self-starting cumulative sum (CUSUM) charts were generated for each calf for each daily average feeding behavior, including drinking speed (mL/min), milk consumption (L/d), and visits to the feeder without a milk meal (no.). A testing subset of 352 calves (176 treated, 176 healthy) was first used to find CUSUM chart parameters that provided the highest diagnostic test sensitivity and best signal timing, which were then applied to all calves (n = 1,052). Generalized estimating equations were used to estimate the diagnostic test characteristics of a single negative mean CUSUM chart signal to detect a sick calf for a single feeding behavior. Combinations of feeding behavior signals were also explored. Single signals and combinations of signals that included drinking speed provided the most sensitive and timely signal, finding a sick calf up to an average (±SE) of 3.1 ± 8.8 d before calf personnel. However, there was no clear advantage to using CUSUM charting over calf observation for any one feeding behavior or combination of feeding behaviors when predictive values were considered. The results of this study suggest that, for the feeding behaviors monitored, the use of CUSUM control charts does not provide sufficient sensitivity or predictive values to detect a sick calf in a timely manner compared with calf personnel. This approach to examining daily average feeding behaviors cannot take the place of careful daily observation.

Complete Genome Sequence of an Influenza C Virus Strain Identified from a Sick Calf in the United States.

Influenza C virus (ICV) has been identified for the first time from bovine respiratory disease complex (BRDC) samples in the United States. Here, we report the complete genome sequence of the strain C/bovine/Montana/12/2016, identified from a nasal swab sample collected from a sick calf with clinical signs of respiratory disease in Montana.

Association between automatically captured rumen temperature bolus temperatures and morbidity in group housed, pre-weaned dairy calves

Group housing of dairy calves offers several advantages for dairy producers, yet calves housed in these systems have an increased risk of disease and it can be more challenging to detect a sick calf in a group. Fever is a widely used indicator of infectious diseases in dairy calves and often accompanies the two most common calf hood morbidities, diarrhea (DIA) and respiratory (RESP) disease. Indwelling rumen temperature bolus (RTB) systems are newly available for calves, but their utility in a field setting has not been formally evaluated. As a first step towards describing the utility (test characteristics) of this technology to detect morbidity, the objective of this study was to describe the relationship between automatically captured RTB temperatures and morbidity in group housed, pre-weaned dairy calves.

The association between daily average feeding behaviors and morbidity in automatically fed group-housed preweaned dairy calves

Group housing and computerized feeding of preweaned dairy calves is gaining popularity among dairy producers worldwide, yet disease incidence and detection remain a challenge in these systems. The aim of this prospective observational cohort study was to describe the relationship between morbidity and feeding behavior around the period of illness detection. Calves were enrolled upon entrance to the group pen on 10 farms in Minnesota (n = 4) and Virginia (n = 6) utilizing group housing and computerized feeding from February until October 2014. Morbidity and mortality events were recorded by the calf caregiver. Farms were visited either every week (Minnesota) or every other week (Virginia) to collect calf enrollment data, feeding behavior data, and health records. Daily average feeding behaviors (drinking speed, mL/min; daily consumption, L/d; rewarded visits to the feeder; and unrewarded visits to the feeder) were described both overall and for sick and healthy calf days. Multivariable mixed models were built to assess the differences in daily average feeding behaviors (drinking speed, daily consumption, rewarded visits, unrewarded visits) between matched sick and healthy calves around the time of an illness event (-10 to 10 d). Final models were controlled for calf age, region (Minnesota and Virginia), group size, disease diagnosis, the random effect of farm, and repeated measurements on calf. A stratified analysis was performed by both day from treatment event and disease diagnosis. We enrolled 1,052 calves representing 43,607 calf days over 9 mo. From these, 176 sick calves had a matched control and were carried forward to the matched pair analysis. Fifty-five percent of sick calves (97/176) were treated for diarrhea, 30% (53/176) were treated for pneumonia, and 15% (26/176) were treated for ill thrift. Sick calves drank 183 ± 27 mL/min (mean ± standard error) more slowly, drank 1.2 ± 0.6 L/d less, and had 3.1 ± 0.7 fewer unrewarded visits than control calves on the first day of treatment. These differences began up to 4 d before the calf was detected as sick, and persisted for 7 to 10 d after treatment. However, changes in feeding behaviors varied by disease diagnosed. Rewarded visits were not associated with morbidity status. The results of this study indicate that sick calves change their feeding behavior before and during an illness event, suggesting that feeding behavior may be a useful tool to detect disease onset.

0588 Motivations of calf care workers for sick calf identification and treatment decisions

0588 Motivations of calf care workers for sick calf identification and treatment decisions

Fluid therapy in calves

Fluid therapy is commonly performed in calves in farm animal practice. When critical care is considered for a sick calf, it is important to recognise whether the animal is hypovolaemic,...

Case Study: Calf Pneumonia

ABSTRACT:This article describes the investigation of a calf pneumonia outbreak in a dairy herd and the practical steps taken to treat sick animals, as well as improve overall calf management. High levels of morbidity meant a blanket treatment approach with antibiotics and NSAIDs was taken for all calves. Key management changes were made in calving pens, colostrum management was improved, changes to ventilation in calf sheds were made, and a protocol for feeding calves was drawn up.

The effect of Fourplex® on gain and health of newly arrived calves (1994)

Two trials were conducted to evaluate the effects of Fourplex®, a trace mineral supplement, on long-hauled stocker calves. In each trial, Fourplex was added to the ration of lightweight, long-hauled calves in four pens, while calves in another four pens served as controls. Additionally, every other calf that became sick, regardless of feed treatment, was drenched with a solution of Fourplex in Trial I and a Cu, Zn, Mn+Co solution in Trial II. Fourplex in the feed did not improve ADG, reduce morbidity, or reduce the number o f treatments required per sick animal. In Trial II , Fourplex-fed calves that became sick required more treatments (P<.12) during the first 2 weeks; however, during the third and fourth weeks, they required fewer treatments (P <.03). In Trial I, sick calves drenched with Fourplex required more treatments. In Trial II, drenching with a Cu, Zn, Mn+Co solution resulted in an increase in treatments per sick calf during the fourth week. In these trials, Fourplex did not significantly increase performance or reduce sickness.

Isolation of bovine herpesvirus-3 from African buffaloes (Syncerus caffer)

Eleven virus isolations were made from the blood of 45 free living healthy African buffaloes by long term cocultivation of their leucocytes with bovine thymus or spleen cells. The isolates were indistinguishable from each other or from herpesviruses isolated from a severely ill buffalo calf and from a dead buffalo. These viruses possessed the characteristics of the bovine herpesvirus-3 (BHV-3) group and were indistinguishable by serology and restriction endonuclease analysis from the BHV-3 type strains Movar 33/63 and DN599. There was a 93.6 per cent prevalence of indirect immunofluorescent antibody to BHV-3 in the sera of 94 buffaloes in the sample population. No clinical signs or viraemia were detected in five cattle inoculated with 10(8.7) log10 TCID50 of the isolate from the sick buffalo calf. Two of three cattle hyperimmunised with this virus resisted challenge with malignant catarrhal fever herpesvirus, which proved fatal for the other immunised animal and for three control cattle.

Need for Organized Health Management Programs

In the first years when I came home we ran a cow-calf operation and fed out our own calves. It amounted to about 100-120 per year. We rarely talked to or used a veterinarian other than with the yard calving situation, pregnancy testing, and a little bit of advice about implanting. In fact I recall I had a sick calf in one of the first years I was home and I put it on the pickup truck and took it to the veterinary clinic. It was diagnosed as pneumonia and they gave it a shot and told me to treat it for two more days and I brought it hume. Our facilities were such I fed and watered that calf on the pickup truck for two days so I could treat it for two more days.

A Comparison of Disease in Calves. II. Effect of Different Management and Feeding Systems on one Farm

Disease levels in calves were examined using a system which recorded the signs observed from treatment and its cost. The result in cost per sick calf and cost per calf place gave some indication of disease severity i. e. the number and degree of signs observed and their duration. The trials were used to indicate the use of the recording system. The size of the study was not sufficient for a positive assessment of the value of the different feeding and management systems. In trial 2 diarrhoea was much more common (40%) using a machine (M2) which dispensed reconstituted milk powder as fast as it was drunk than with once-a-day (OD) bucket feeding (8%) and calves on a machine (M1) which mixed feed on a two- minute cycle (13%). A high level of respiratory disease was seen in OD calves of trial 3, and this was the main difference seen in trial 4:12 and 13% in once-a-day fed calves (OD and ODC) and 50% in machine-fed (M2) calves. Combining the information from these three trials with that from a previous study showed that OD and twice-a-day bucket feeding produced less diarrhoea than machine feeding (M1, M2). More respiratory disease occurred between entry and five weeks in animals used in a controlled environment house than in a naturally-ventilated monopitch building. More disease occurred in each trial pre-weaning than post weaning (weaning at five weeks). Overall mortality was 1·1 % and the most common diseases experienced up to 12 weeks were respiratory disease (31·2%), diarrhoea (20·1%), eye infections (11·2%) and navel and joint problems (2·2%).

A Comparison of Disease in Calves. I. A Method of Disease Recording and its Use Under Different Systems of Feeding

The degree of calf disease in three groups of calves was studied under different feedings systems. The animals were bucket-fed once (OD) or twice (TD) a day, or ad-libitum machine fed (M1). Various methods of examining the data were considered and it was suggested that the recording system should include some element of disease ‘severity’, i. e. the degree to which signs were present and the duration of the illness. A simple recording system to produce results for on-farm comparison was suggested based on treatments and their costs. This was affected by how long therapy was continued and, in general, more expensive and larger numbers of different drugs tended to be used at the same time in animals which were clinically considered to be more seriously ill. Cost was calculated on the basis of cost per sick calf and cost per calf place. Comparison between the use of OD and TD feeding revealed little difference in level of disease; in the M1-fed animals there was more diarrhoea and respiratory disease. Slightly more disease occurred pre-weaning than post weaning (weaning at five weeks). There was no mortality during the trial.

Millet and alfalfa hays alone and in combination with high-energy diet for receiving stressed calves.

Calves subjected to stresses of weaning, marketing, shipping and processing ate more feed, gained more weight and gained more efficiently when fed a 75% concentrate receiving diet, alone or with free choice hay, than when fed hay alone (P less than .01). Diets with greater bulk or lower energy densities did not promote higher feed intake in these stressed calves, as would be the case in unstressed animals. No differences due to receiving diets were observed in number of calves treated, days treated per sick calf, death loss or relapses. There was a trend (P less than .1) for calves on hay diets to have fewer total sick days than those fed a 75% concentrate diet alone or with free choice hay. Feed intake, weight gains and conversion of feed to gain for calves on alfalfa hay alone were superior (P less than .05) to the corresponding measures for calves on millet hay alone. Both hays fed alone were inferior (P less than .01) to a 75% concentrate diet alone or in combination with either hay in promoting weight gains and conversion of feed to gain. Gastrointestinal tract fill estimated from apparent and predicted gains amounted to 93 and 76% of apparent gains for calves fed millet or alfalfa hay respectively, but only 58% or less for those fed diets containing the 75% concentrate milled feed. Growing lambs were in negative N balance when fed millet hay alone but retained approximately 15% of N intake when fed diets containing the 75% concentrate milled feed. N retention on alfalfa hay alone was intermediate. The data indicate net tissue growth in calves fed millet hay alone is near zero during a 28-day receiving period. No differences were noted between calves receiving grubicide as a dip and those given grubicide as a pour on.

Wilbur and the Sick Calf

Wilbur and the Sick Calf