Table 1.

Inclusion and exclusion criteria for the donor and recipient’s calves.

Inclusion and exclusion criteria for the recipient’s calves

Inclusion criteria Calves had to meet all the following criteria to be used

1. Male and female calves aged 5–50 days 2. Current moderate-to-severe diarrhea, with a Bristol stool score for the liquidity of 6–7 3. Rectal bleeding and mucosal appearance

Exclusion criteria Calves with any of the following criteria were not used

1. History of antimicrobial agent administration (antibiotics, antifungals, or antivirals) 2. History of communicable livestock diseases (e.g., foot-and-mouth disease, contagious bovine pleuropneumonia, anthrax, or brucellosis) 3. Age <5 or >50 days 4. Bristol stool score < 6

Inclusion and exclusion criteria for healthy fecal donors

Inclusion criteria Calves had to meet all of the following criteria to be used

1. Male and female calves aged 21–50 days 2. Bristol stool score for the liquidity of 3–4 3. Well, nourished 4. Good physical condition (clean nose, mouth, ears, rump, tail, and hair)

Exclusion criteria Calves with any of the following criteria were not used

1. History of antimicrobial agent administration (antibiotics, antifungals, or antivirals) 2. History of communicable livestock diseases (e.g., foot-and-mouth disease, contagious bovine pleuropneumonia, anthrax, or brucellosis) 3. Age <21 or >50 days 4. Current moderate-to-severe diarrhea, with a Bristol stool score for the liquidity of 6–7 5. Rectal bleeding and mucosal appearance 6. Presence of a virus that causes calf diarrhea, determined by the detection of a specific pathogen in the fecal samples (group A rotavirus, group B rotavirus, group C rotavirus, bovine coronavirus, bovine torovirus, bovine norovirus, bovine enteric Nebraska-like calicivirus, bovine nebovirus, or bovine viral diarrhea virus) 7. Presence of a bacterium that causes calf diarrhea, determined by the detection of a specific pathogen in the fecal samples (Clostridium perfringens, Salmonella enterica, Salmonella enterica typhimurium, enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli, shigatoxigenic Escherichia coli, or enterohemorrhagic Escherichia coli) 8. Presence of a protozoan that causes calf diarrhea, determined by the detection of a specific pathogen in the fecal samples (Eimeria zuernii)