White Scours Research Articles

Composition of the microbiota in forestomach fluids and feces of Japanese Black calves with white scours1

The objective of this study was to characterize the composition of the forestomach and fecal microbiota in Japanese Black calves with white scours. Forestomach fluid, feces, and peripheral blood were collected from healthy calves (n = 5; age 10 ± 2 d) and scouring calves (n = 5; age 10 ± 1 d) on the day on which white scours occurred. The pH and concentrations of VFA, lactic acid, and ammonia nitrogen (NH3–N) of the forestomach fluids were determined. Microbiota composition and gene copy numbers in the forestomach fluid and feces were analyzed by 454 pyrosequencing and quantitative real-time PCR (qPCR), respectively. The cytokine mRNA level in peripheral leukocytes was evaluated by qPCR. The pH of the forestomach fluid of the scouring calves tended to be higher than that of the healthy calves (P = 0.056). No significant difference was detected in the total VFA, lactic acid, or NH3–N concentrations in the forestomach fluids of the 2 groups. Firmicutes, Bacteroidetes, and Proteobacteria were the predominant phyla in the forestomach fluid and feces. At the genus level, the relative abundance of Oscillibacter in the forestomach fluid was significantly higher in the scouring calves (P < 0.05) and the relative abundance of Faecalibacterium in the feces was significantly higher than that in the forestomach in the healthy calves (P < 0.05). Furthermore, the bacterial diversity indices of feces were lower in the scouring calves. Quantitative PCR amplification using some of the primer pairs failed in the forestomach fluid and feces in both groups. These results suggested that fermentation in the forestomach may affect the occurrence of white scours, resulting in changes in the composition and diversity of the forestomach fluid and fecal microbiota in Japanese Black calves.

Composition of the microbiota in forestomach fluids and feces of Japanese Black calves with white scours.

The objective of this study was to characterize the composition of the forestomach and fecal microbiota in Japanese Black calves with white scours. Forestomach fluid, feces, and peripheral blood were collected from healthy calves ( = 5; age 10 ± 2 d) and scouring calves ( = 5; age 10 ± 1 d) on the day on which white scours occurred. The pH and concentrations of VFA, lactic acid, and ammonia nitrogen (NH-N) of the forestomach fluids were determined. Microbiota composition and gene copy numbers in the forestomach fluid and feces were analyzed by 454 pyrosequencing and quantitative real-time PCR (qPCR), respectively. The cytokine mRNA level in peripheral leukocytes was evaluated by qPCR. The pH of the forestomach fluid of the scouring calves tended to be higher than that of the healthy calves ( = 0.056). No significant difference was detected in the total VFA, lactic acid, or NH-N concentrations in the forestomach fluids of the 2 groups. Firmicutes, Bacteroidetes, and Proteobacteria were the predominant phyla in the forestomach fluid and feces. At the genus level, the relative abundance of in the forestomach fluid was significantly higher in the scouring calves ( < 0.05) and the relative abundance of in the feces was significantly higher than that in the forestomach in the healthy calves ( < 0.05). Furthermore, the bacterial diversity indices of feces were lower in the scouring calves. Quantitative PCR amplification using some of the primer pairs failed in the forestomach fluid and feces in both groups. These results suggested that fermentation in the forestomach may affect the occurrence of white scours, resulting in changes in the composition and diversity of the forestomach fluid and fecal microbiota in Japanese Black calves.

黒毛和種母牛の飼料変更による乳成分の変化と子牛の白痢

The feed of 5 postpartum Japanese Black cows was changed from a low-starch ration (day 0) by the addition of 3kg per day of dent- corn silage. As a result of the change, calf fecesbegan showing preliminary signs' of scours between day 1 and day 3. Between day 5 and day 7, these calves suffered from watery white scours. Fat percent in the dams' milk increasedon the morning of the day on which preliminary symptoms developed and on the day on which scours appeared. Total Ca and Mg concentration in all dams' milk was high on the last evening of the preliminary-symptoms period. Milk pH changed remarkably on the day prior to theappearance of white scours. Palmitic and stearic acid in milk fat increased 1 day prior tothe appearance of white scours. Triglyceride and free fatty acid blood levels in calves were lower on the preliminary-symptoms day but returned to original levels 1 day prior to the appearance of white scours. It seems that calf white scours may be associated with lowered fat absorption in the digestive tract resulting from changes in dams' milk constituents. Further, these changes in dam milk constituents may have resulted from changes in the dams' rations.

Rotaviruses associated with neonatal lamb diarrhea in two Wyoming shed-lambing operations.

White scours was first recognized in 1927 as an important cause of newborn lamb loss in shed-lambing operations in the western United States. 4 This disease was thought to be caused by bacteria, but no specific pathogen was identified. Lamb scours remains an important disease in the United States, 3 and several bacteria are now considered etiologic agents, including Bacteroides fragilis 5 and K99 piliated, enteropathogenic Escherichia coli. 11 Moreover, the coccidian parasite Cryptosporidium also has been associated with diarrhea in young lambs. 1 Viruses associated with neonatal lamb diarrhea were not reported in the United States until very recently. 7 In this instance, group B rotavirus was detected during an outbreak of diarrhea in newborn confinement-reared lambs in Ohio. Each spring during the past 5 years, several large shedlambing operations in eastern Wyoming have experienced severe outbreaks of neonatal diarrhea associated with high morbidity and mortality. The purpose of this study was to determine if any potentially pathogenic enteric viruses could be detected by negative-stain electron microscopic (EM) examination of specimens collected from neonatal diarrheic lambs in 2 of these operations. In early April 1994, specimens were collected from affected lambs in 2 eastern Wyoming shed-lambing operations situated about 40 km apart. Ranch A routinely shed-lambs over 1,300 lambs within a 30-day period commencing in early March. In some years the first scouring lambs were observed during the first week of shed-lambing, whereas in other years they occurred later. Clinical signs were observed when the lambs were 12-16 hours old and consisted of frothy salivation, inappetence, and scours. Some affected lambs died within 4-5 hours following the onset of signs; surviving lambs, however, often gained weight slowly and were prone to other infectious diseases. Once the outbreak was under way, morbidity approached 100%, and about 10% of the affected lambs died. Ranch B routinely shed-lambs between 3,000 and 5,000 lambs within a 30-day period starting in early March. Affected lambs were not ordinarily observed during the first week, but sometime afterward a lamb would become ill while still in the lambing pen. Within 4-5 days after the first case, many lambs were affected, and thereafter the majority of the lambs kept in the shed area became ill. Initial clinical signs

Congenital biliary atresia and jaundice in lambs and calves

An outbreak of congenital biliary atresia and jaundice is described, in which approximately 300 crossbred lambs and 9 crossbred calves died. The affected animals failed to thrive, developed jaundice and white scours and died within 4 weeks of birth. A common feature of this outbreak and a similar occurrence 24 years previously was the grazing of plants growing on the exposed silt foreshores of Burrinjuck Dam by ewes and cows in the early stages of pregnancy. Epidemiological and pathological findings suggested that a toxic insult to the foetus in early gestation caused choledysgenesis and biliary atresia, leading to diffuse, subacute to chronic cholangiohepatopathy and cirrhosis.

Epidemiological Studies of Piglet Diarrhoea in Intensively Managed Danish Sow Herds

The prevalence of rotavirus infection was studied in 1090 litters from 26 sow herds. Samples of normal, semifluid and watery stools were examined for rotavirus by an ELISA-test on faeces. Rotavirus was detected in 77% of the herds and in 30.5% of the litters (prevalence rates). The highest prevalence rate was seen in piglets between 21 and 41 days of age. Gilts' litters had a very high prevalence during the first week of life. Apart from this, no difference was found between litters from gilts and older sows. Rotavirus was detected more frequently in semiliquid, loose stools than in normal or watery stools, and an association between virus detection and diarrhoea could not be demonstrated. However, litters which shedded rotavirus during the suckling period had lower weight gains and higher incidence rates of respiratory diseases than virus-free litters. Litters weaned at 2 weeks in battery cages had slightly increased risk of shedding rotavirus compared to litters weaned in more traditional systems. The study revealed that rotavirus is widespread in Danish swine herds. The findings give evidence to suggest that the type of mild diarrhoea in 3-week-old piglets known as steatorrhoea or white scours may be associated with rotavirus infection, possibly in combination with E. coli and other agents. The high prevalence in piglets weaned at 2 weeks plus the higher morbidity and mortality among such piglets sustain the conclusion that piglets should not be weaned before 3 weeks of age or below a body weight of 6-7 kg.

Escherichia coliin extra-intestinal infections

When Theodor Escherich (1885a, b) first describedEscherichia colihe looked on it as a saprophytic organism. Soon several investigators found that colibacteria could be isolated from intestinal infections and from many infections outside the intestine, like urinary tract infections (UTI), cholecystitis, wound infections, meningitis, septicaemia, pulmonary infections, and many more. Uhlenhuth (1897) showed that coli strains from pathological processes were more pathogenic in animal experiments than strains isolated from the normal intestine. Smith (1927), who examined strains from white scours in calves, showed that spontaneous acapsular mutants could be obtained from certain colibacteria, and that such mutants were less virulent when injected intra-peritoneally into guinea-pigs.

White Scours in Piglets; II. Scanning Electron Microscopy of the Mucosa of the Small Intestine

The mucosa of the small intestine of clinically normal piglets and of piglets with white scours was investigated, using a scanning electron microscope. No new findings on the rough villous pattern of the small intestinal mucosa could be added to those obtained with the stereomicroscope. In the high range of magnification, however, the surface of the different villous forms showed features that could barely be seen with the stereomicroscope. The findings indicate that in general the microstructure of the villous surface differs in the various types of villi.

White scours in piglets. I. Stereomicroscopy of the mucosa of the small intestine.

The stereomicroscopic structure of the mucosa of the small intestine, both outside and overlying the areas with Peyer's patches, of 3-week-old piglets with white scours differed from that of clinically normal piglets of the same age. Morphological features of the villi in the clinically normal piglets varied according to their location in the small intestine. In piglets with white scours the mucosal pattern of all portions of the small intestine was changed. There was a strong correlation between the villous abnormality and a high level of total fat in the contents of the large intestine.

ANTIGENIC ANALYSIS AND BIOCHEMICAL CHARACTERS OF STRAINS OF ESCHERICHIA COLI, COMMONLY ASSOCIATED WITH HUMAN DIARRHOEA, ISOLATED FROM SPORADIC CASES OF GASTRO-ENTERITIS IN LOCAL POPULATION OF DOMESTIC ANIMALS

One hundred and fifty-three strains of Escherichia coli were isolated from sporadic cases of gastroenteritis from cows, calves, buffaloes, buffalocalves, goats, and kids. Thirty-six biochemical tests were conducted. On the basis of fermentation reaction of six selected sugars (rhamnose, sucrose, dulcitol, raffinose, salicin, and starch), 153 strains were classified into 28 biotypes. Biotypes I, V, VI, XI, XVIII, and XX appeared more common than the others. These six biotypes accounted for over 60% of the total (153) strains isolated from diarrhoea, dysentery, or white scours. Biotype XX predominated in buffaloes and buffalocalves, and Type VI in cows and calves, and in goats and kids. Again Type VI predominated in diarrhoea and dysentery and Type XI in white scour. Only 137 strains could be identified serologically. Sixty-five strains belonged to 7 human enteropathogenic ‘O’ groups (O26: B6, O55: B5, O86: B7, O112: B11, O119: B14, O125: B15, and O126: B16). Group O26 predominated in goats and kids, O125 in buffaloes and buffalocalves, and O119 in cows and calves. Another 72 strains belonged to 31 ‘O’ groups, which are not known to be associated with infantile diarrhoea and gastroenteritis of human. Serological heterogenicity was observed within a single biotype and, similarly, strains within a single serotype differed in their biochemical characters.

Treatment of White Scours of calves with hexamine thiocyanate

Abstract Extract Sir,—There is no doubt that, since the introduction of sulphonamides and antibiotics, great strides have been made in the treatment of White Scours of calves. Even in outbreaks where the prognosis is poor, a combination of antibiotics, good care, dieting and symptomatic treatment with astringents will limit the losses.

The effect of white scours on the sodium and potassium concentration in the serum of newborn calves.

The effect of white scours on the sodium and potassium concentration in the serum of newborn calves.

ESCHERICHIA COM INFECTION IN LAMBS

Summary. An account is given of an outbreak of a disease in lambs apparently resembling colibacillosis or “white scours” of calves. Secondary infection of the meninges, however, appeared to be an important part of the disease syndrome. Lambs may have a comparatively weak blood‐brain barrier. Several other cases of disease in lambs are briefly described. It is suggested that they also were caused by E. coll.

The typing of Escherichia coli by bacteriophage: its application in the study of the E. coli population of the intestinal tract of healthy calves and of calves suffering from white scours.

Summary: A bacteriophage method of classifying strains of Escherichia coli which inhabit the alimentary tract of cattle has been evolved. It was possible to divide the strains into a large number of types by this method. Varying proportions of strains isolated from the faeces of human beings, sheep, pigs and poultry were also typable by the phages employed. This method of phage typing was used to study the origin and behaviour of the E. coli population in the alimentary tract of healthy cows and calves, and of calves suffering from white scours, in one self-contained herd (herd A) and to a lesser extent in twenty-seven other herds. Several types of E. coli were often found in the same faecal specimen in cases of scouring, as well as in healthy calves. Seventy different phage types were found in the faeces of the healthy calves in herd A, many occurring infrequently. Thirty-two different types were discovered in the faeces of the scouring calves in this herd; only one strain of one type was found in scouring calves that was not found also in healthy calves. Two types were found commonly in the calves but rarely in the cows. The examination of strains of E. coli isolated from faeces of cows and calves at daily and weekly intervals indicated that some types usually remained dominant for a week or so and were then gradually succeeded in dominance by other types. In some animals frequent and sudden changes were apparent; in others one type might be the only type isolated from the faeces for a number of weeks continuously. Changes of dominant phage-type commonly occurred in faeces of calves during the time they were suffering from white scours. The mother did not appear to be a frequent source from which a calf acquired its E. coli; the calf pens themselves seemed a more probable source. Exceedingly large numbers of E. coli were found in the faeces of healthy and scouring calves during the first 14 days of life, a period when white scours occurs; very much smaller numbers were found in older animals. Studies on material from the twenty-seven other herds supported the findings in herd A; many phage types of E. coli were found in these herds that had not been found in herd A. The aetiology of calf scours is discussed in the light of these and other observations.

The epidemiology of white scours among calves kept under experimental conditions.

The epidemiology of white scours among calves kept under experimental conditions.

The Control of Diarrhea (“White Scours”) of New-Born Dairy Calves by Means of Serum and Sulfaguanidine

Summary 1. An acute infectious and contagious diarrhea (“white scours”) of new-born dairy calves was investigated clinically. 2. Scrupulous sanitation of the surroundings and adequate nutritionof the calf during the immediate post-natal period are regarded as fundamental in the control of scours of new-born calves but such measures alone are not adequate to control the disease under general herd conditions. 3. No recognizable reduction in the incidence of scours resulted from either giving cod liver oil as a dietary supplement or injecting a commercial anti-scour serum as a prophylactic measure. 4. Sulfaguanidine given in proper doses was effective prophylactically and therapeutically. A rule-of-the-thumb procedure could not be followed in all dosing. 5. As a prophylactic agent, it is recommended that sulfaguanidine in doses of approximately two grams be given to the calf at the following intervals: first dose, shortly after first colostrum consumption, which should not be later than two hours after birth; second dose, six to eight hours later; subsequent doses, morning and night through the second or third day. Doses may be reduced to one gram after the first 36 hours. 6. The following amounts of sulfaguanidine, per 100 pounds body weight of calf, given at four to six hour intervals are recommended as a guide for treatment: first dose, 7 grams; second dose, 5 grams; third and subsequent doses, 4 grams. These doses should be varied according to the condition and response of the calf. During the first 24 hours after the first clinical symptoms of scours are manifested, all feed should be withheld from the calf and liberal amounts of warm water should be given. Discontinue the sulfaguanidine therapy as soon as scours subsides. 7. In view of the dangers from complications associated with diarrhea of the new-born calf, prophylactic measures should be given precedence over therapeutic control except in herds where only sporadic cases occur.

Experiments on Staphylococcus food poisoning

1. Feeding tests on monkeys (Macacus rhesus), dogs and cats are unsatisfactory for detecting the presence of enterotoxin, owing to the variable susceptibility of these animals by the oral route.2. Using Dolman's method, in which the material is injected intra-peritoneally into kittens, the production of enterotoxin has been demonstrated by: (a) sixteen out of thirty-eight strains of Staph. aureus, isolated from cases of acute or chronic mastitis or from normal udder milk; (b) four out of five strains of Bact. coli, mostly from calves with “white scours”. No enterotoxin was obtained from fifteen strains of Str. agalactiae from mastitis in cows.3. The formation of enterotoxin under natural conditions has been observed: (a) In udder milk seeded with Staph. aureus or naturally contaminated with that organism and stored at atmospheric temperatures (18 and 22°C.). The substance remains active in cheese prepared from such milk. (b) In layer cake made with cream naturally contaminated with Staph. aureus.4. A small outbreak of poisoning due to potted meat paste was shown to be caused by a non-haemolytic Staphylococcus.5. A few feeding experiments on man with milk or cream, in which food-poisoning staphylococci had grown, were negative, but on one occasion a Staphylococcus from a case of mastitis yielded a culture filtrate which caused symptoms of food poisoning.6. Enterotoxin has the following properties. It is resistant to heat (95°C., 30 min.), to low concentrations of formalin sufficient to destroy the haemolytic toxin, to acid (pH 5·0), and to rennet, but is destroyed by trypsin.It diffuses freely into the culture medium but only slightly through collodion. It is antigenic. Its properties are such that enterotoxin can be classed as a bacterial exotoxin.