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. 1993 Sep 1;34(3):271–279. doi: 10.1186/BF03548191

Studies of Enteric Pathogens and γ-Globulin Levels of Neonatal Calves in Sweden

S Viring 16,26,36,46,56,✉, S-O Olsson 16,26,36,46,56, S Alenius 16,26,36,46,56, U Emanuelsson 16,26,36,46,56, S-O Jacobsson 16,26,36,46,56, B Larsson 16,26,36,46,56, N Linde 16,26,36,46,56, A Uggla 16,26,36,46,56
PMCID: PMC8112519  PMID: 7508678

Abstract

Viring, S., S.-O. Olsson, S. Alenius, U. Emanuelsson, S.-O. Jacobsson, B. Larsson, N. Linde and A. Uggla: Studies of enteric pathogens and γ-globulin levels of neonatal calves in Sweden. Acta vet. scand. 1993, 34, 271-279.– Faecal and blood samples were taken from 10-30% of calves, 36 hours to 14 days old, in 47 dairy herds in different regions of Sweden from September 1987 to October 1988 (Olsson et al 1993). Faecal samples from 279 calves were analysed for the presence of Escherichia coli (K99+), rotavirus and Cryptosporidium sp. Twenty (7.2%) of these samples were from diarrhoeic calves. An ELISA was developed and used for the rotavirus analysis. E. coli K99+ was detected in 11.5%, Cryptosporidium sp. in 6.1% and rotavirus in 5.4% of the faecal samples. The presence of rotavirus alone and the combination rotavirus and E. coli (K99+) was found to be associated with diarrhoea (p<0.001 and p<0.01 respectively).

Blood samples from 327 calves were analysed for the level of total protein and γ-globulin. In 43 of these samples (13%) γ-globulin did not separate from the ß2-region by electrophoresis. The mean total protein concentration was 53.6 g/1 in calves free from diarrhoea. The mean γ-globulin concentration, adjusted to 7 days age was 5.9 g/1. The 20 diarrhoeic calves had lower levels of both total protein and γ-globulin, compared with calves without diarrhoea, but the difference was not significant. One litre more of colostrum at the first feed increased the level of total protein of the calves’ sera by 1.4 g/1 (p = 0.05). Calves born between May and September had a 2.0 g/1 higher (p<0.001) serum concentration of γ-globulin than calves born between October and April.

Keywords: calf diarrhoea, Cryptosporidium sp., E. coli (K99+), rotavirus, y-globulin, total protein, colostrum

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Acknowledgments

The veterinarians involved in sampling and recording are gratefully acknowledged. The authors also express their thanks to Dr Lennart Thunberg, Department of Clinical Chemistry, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Uppsala for the description of the immunoglobulin methods. This work was made possible by funding from the Farmers’ Research Council for Information and Development.

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