Role of Cryptosporidium parvum as a pathogen in neonatal diarrhoea complex in suckling and dairy calves in France

Abstract

This study was carried out to find the importance of Cryptosporidium parvum in diarrhoea of neonatal calves in two types of breeding - suckling and dairy calves - in France. Different agents causing neonatal diarrhoea, E. coli, rotavirus, coronavirus, Salmonella and Cryptosporidium were systematically researched in faeces. 1. Suckling calves: In 40 livestock farms selected for diarrhoea, 311 calves 4 to 10 days old which had diarrhoea for less than 24h or no diarrhoea, were included in the study. A prophylaxis of neonatal diarrhoea had been carried out in 21 of the 40 livestock farms. On D0 (inclusion day), the mean age was 6 days, 82% presented a good initial general condition and 76.2% had a good appetite; 48.6% were diarrhoeic but 91.3% presented no sign of dehydration. Only 6.1% were infected by E. coli K99, 14.3% by rotavirus, 6.8% by coronavirus, 0.3% by Salmonella but 50% excreted C. parvum oocysts. This later percentage increases up to 84% and 86% by D3 and D7, respectively . We note that 16% of the 4-day-old calves on D0 are excreting oocysts and this percentage increases as a function of the age of the calf on D0 to reach 90% to 95% by the age of 8 days. 10 out of 12 dead calves excreted C. parvum oocysts. From D0 to D14 the other pathogen agents show a relative or a decreasing stability. 2. Dairy calves: 382 calves which had diarrhoea for less than 24 h or no diarrhoea, aged 8 to 15 days coming from six industrial livestock farms were included in the study. On D0, 99% of the calves presented a good initial general condition, 99.7% had a good appetite and no calf was dehydrated. At this date (D0), 16.8% of the calves excreted cryptosporidia. This percentage increases up to 23% and 51.8% on D3 and D8, respectively, then decreases to 31.9% on D14. The pressure of the other pathogenicagents remains relatively stable, excepted for rotavirus on D7 (from 9.9% on D0 to 27.2% on D7, then 12.6% on D14) which does not explain the concomitantpeak in diarrhoea because the infection by rotavirus on D7 is more frequent in non-diarrhoeic calves than in diarrhoeic calves. Our results show that Cryptosporidium prevalence is higher in suckling than in dairy calves and C. parvum constitutes actually in both cases the major aetiological agent of neonatal diarrhoea.

Characterization of virulence factors in Escherichia coli isolated from diarrheic and healthy calves in Austria shedding various enteropathogenic agents

“…oocysts were detected in 25.6% of the calves showing signs of diarrhoea and only in 2.9% of the healthy calves. This result is comparable to the findings reported in previous studies from other countries (Naciri et al, 1999;Kvac et al, 2006). Lower prevalence of Cryptosporidium spp.…”

Importância de Cryptosporidium spp. como causa de diarréia em bezerros

“…Não foi possível observar diferenças estatísticas com relação ao número de oocistos excretados por animais assintomáticos e animais diarréicos, em virtude da grande variação dos valores de desvio-padrão obtidos. No entanto, os resultados deste trabalho demonstraram que Cryptosporidium é um importante agente etiológico de diarréia em animais com até 15 dias de idade, como descrito anteriormente por Naciri et al (1999).…”

Prevalence of Cryptosporidium sp. infection in diarrheic and non-diarrheic humans in Iran

“…infections among diarrheic calves as compared with non-diarrheic calves (Naciri, 1999;De la Fuente et al, 1999;Lefay et al, 2000;Uga et al, 2000;Castro-Hermid et al, 2002). Also in the present study, Cryptosporidium sp.…”