Endoparasites of calves in large herds]

The authors present preliminary results of the coprological examination of calves in large-capacity calf-houses. In a new large-capacity calf-house in the Benesov district in the Central-Bohemian region, 200 samples of faeces were examined according to Breza (1957) and further examinations were performed regularly in a group of 42 calves from the age of 0.5 to 6 months. The tests revealed 13 species of endoparasites, including eight species of coccidia: Eimeria auburnensis, E. alabamensis. E. bovis, E. cylindrica, E. elliposidalis, E. subspherica, E. zuernii, Isospora spp., and five species of helminths: Strongyloides papillosus, Oesophagostomum radiatum, Trichocephalus ovis, Cooperia spp., and Ascaris suum. The following conclusions were derived from these findings: 1. The calves may carry the germs of coccidia and helminths on their hooves already during transportation to the new calf-house; 2. twelve- to twenty-day-old calves, coming to the calf-houses, are often already attacked by several species of coccidia and helminths; 3. the number of parasite species increases and the extensity of invasion rises with age; 4. it has been demonstrated that the invasion process of eight species of coccidia and five species of worms can take place under the conditions of modern calf-house; 5, stronglyloidosis, oesophagostomosis, and trichocephalosis can be treated as typical stable helminthoses; 6. some other speceis of helminths and coccidia occur in calves after transition to green forage with which they are probably carried to the calf-house.     

Vitamin C levels in the early postnatal period in calves and their mothers]

The dynamics of L-ascorbic acid was studied in 68 cows and 91 calves at an age from one to ten days in the period from November to April. The study was conducted in two maternal stocks in a supply area of a large-capacity calf-house located in the beet-growing region. L-ascorbic acid in the blood serum was determined accoring to King. The lowest average levels of L-ascorbic acid were found in February (cows 0.35 mg%, calves 1.02 mg%), and the highest in April (cows 1.00 mg%, calves 2.52 mg%). The level of L-ascorbic acid descended during ontogenesis from the value found at birth (6.72 mg%); the values of the first postpartal day are significantly higher in comparison with all the remainind observations. The results constituted a basis for a working hypothesis on the importance of colostrum as an exogenous source of L-ascorbic acid for calves.     

Comparison of biochemical parameters in the blood of healthy and diseased calves in a large barn

In a high-capacity calf-house, twenty-one calves were subjected to repeated clinical and biochemical examination until they were 22 weeks old. For evaluating the health condition of the animals, the calves were divided into two groups, one including healthy animals and the other including those suffering from bronchopneumonia and diarrhoea as the most frequent disorders in high-capacity calf-houses. From four to eight weeks of age, both groups of calves showed low levels of plasma magnesium and iron. The levels of plasma zinc and copper showed a continuous decrease with age. Compared with the healthy calves, the animals affected by a disease had statistically significantly lower levels of plasma vitamins (A, E, C). Further, the diseased animals also showed statistically significantly decreased levels of plasma glucose, serum albumins, and a lower activity of alkaline phosphatase in plasma. In addition to this, the diseased animals also had significantly higher levels of plasma gamma-globulins and urea. These clinico-biochemical parameters can be used for determining the subclinical forms of disease, for objective diagnosis and for the introduction of preventive measures in high-capacity calf-house.     

The economic significance of coccidia of the genus Cryptosporidium in calf rearing

In five large calf-houses and seven farms, 943 calves at the age from one to 198 days were examined coprologically; the feces of 224 animals (23.7%) contained coccidium oocysts of the genus Cryptosporidium. The cryptosporidium oocysts were counted in the Bürker chamber by means of the original method, and their mean number in 1 g of feces was the highest in the animals of the age from 11 to 20 days (3.0 +/- 2.4 million in the calves suffering from scours and 4.2 +/- 4.1 million in the calves without scours). Statistical comparison of the mean weights of heifers was performed at the time of their delivery to the calf-house and showed no statistically significant influence of cryptosporidia on the weight of animals.     

Levels of insulin and glucose in calves during the first 6 months of life]

Twenty-four calves of the Holstein-Friesian breed were included into a trial. The trial was performed from April (when the calves were born) to October. The objective of the study was to investigate variations in insulin and glucose levels over a longer time period of the postnatal development of calves. The blood was sampled by the jugular vein puncture at the age of 1, 2, 3, 5, 14, 21, 28, 35, 49, 63, 91, 118, 147 and 175 days. The calves were housed in a prophylactorium calf-house till the age of 21 days: till the age of 14 days they were housed individually and then in groups of 2-3 calves in a small pen. The calves were fed milk till the age of 26 or 28 days, after a fortnight the feed intake was increased from the previous 3 litres to 5-6 litres per head/day. At the age of 21 days the calves were transferred to pens in the calving room. At the age of 26 days twelve calves were transferred to a barn for young cattle rearing, the remaining twelve calves were transferred at the age of 28 days; here they were housed by 10-12 head per pen and they were fed a commercial milk replacer diluted at a 1:10 ratio, the feed intake being 6-8 litres a day, and a commercial pelleted calf starter TKS at the amount of 1.0-1.1 kg.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)     

Helminthiases in newly established large-capacity breeding stations for cattle]

Invasions of gastrointestinal nematodes proved to be the most frequent helminthiases in new-established large-capacity herds of cattle according to the results of parasitary examinations of cattle in one locality in the Tachov district. The nematodes, especially Oesophagostomum spp., Haemonchus contortus, Cooperia spp., Trichostrongylus spp., occurred in animals of all age categories. The Ostertagia spp., Chabertia ovina, Nematodirus spp., Bunostomum phlebotomum and Trishuris spp. participated in the invasions to a smaller extent. The first eggs can already be found in three months old calves. Strongyloidosis can be diagnosed in the first month of age in calves [5%], the incidence rate increasing up to the age of five months, then it begins to decrease. Taenasis was found out in six months old calves [4.4% and11.6%]. Reclamations of pastures reduced the incidence of fasciolosis to the minimum rate; its invasions were heavy before establishing the large-capacity herds of cattle. Dictyocaulosis was not found in the large-capacity herds of cattle at all, due to the same reasons. Not only were nematode eggs proved, but also larvae to develop to the stages capable of invasion [Chabertia ovina, Haemonchus contortus, Oesophagostomum spp., Strongyloides papillosus] in dry excrements on railings of pens, on slatted floors and walls of the calf-sheds that were investigated.     

Occurrence of coccidiosis in calves at one to six months of age, which are housed in a large capacity barn]

One- to six-month-old calves, housed in the large-capacity calf house of the Nová Bystrice state farm in the district of Jindrich?v Hradec were studied for the occurrence of coccidia in the period from January 1974 to April 1975. The coccidia found in these animals included nine species of the genus Eimeria: E. zuernii, E. bovis, E. ellipsoidalis, E. subspherica, E. auburnensis. The species E. alabamensis, E. cylindrica, E. wyomingensis and E. bukidnonensis occurred just sporadically. Further, the findings included oocysts of Isopora spp. The oocysts of the coccidia E. wyomingensis and Isopora spp. were found for the first time in Czechoslovakia. The overall extensity of invasion (EI) and intensity of invasion (II) grow with age as follows: (chart: see text) The results suggest that even modern large-capacity calf houses are not free from invasion by coccidia; the calves in the house under study were invaded by ten species. Transition to vegetable feeding is accompanied by a marked rise of the EI of all the species of coccidia found in the animals.     

Survival of Oocysts of Eimeria alabamensis on Pastures under Different Climatic Conditions in Sweden

The extent to which oocysts of the coccidian parasite Eimeria alabamensis can survive the winter and cause clinical coccidiosis in different parts of Sweden was investigated. Fecal samples were collected between May and July 1993 from calves on 59 farms where calves had grazed the same pasture for at least 5 consecutive years. The farms were situated in 9 regions of Sweden with different climatic conditions in the winter. On each farm, 5 samples of feces were collected from the floor of the calf-house before the calves were turned out in the spring, and again from the pasture on days 4 or 5, 8 or 9 and 10 or 11 after they were turned out. Overwintering of oocysts of E. alabamensis was considered to have occurred if an increase in the excretion rate of oocysts of this species could be demonstrated 8 to 11 days after calves had been turned out to pastures that had not been grazed since the previous autumn. Oocysts were shown to have overwintered on 27 farms, representing all 9 regions. Samples from 20 (34%) of the farms representing all the climatic regions contained more than 850000 oocysts per g of feces. This was comparable with the numbers found in animals with clinical coccidiosis due to E. alabamensis. Delaying turnout until the beginning of July did not affect the infection rate of the calves. However, calves which were turned out to pastures that had been grazed by older cattle or horses, either earlier in the spring or in previous years, excreted significantly fewer oocysts than calves which were turned out to pastures that had been grazed only by calves. A questionnaire answered by 321 dairy farmers revealed that of the 298 farmers who turned their first-season grazing cattle out to traditional pastures, 179 (60%) had used the same pasture for at least 5 years. These 179 farmers had experienced a significantly higher incidence of diarrhoea in their calves during the first 2 weeks at pasture than those farmers who had used different pastures.     

Ascorbic acid levels in the bronchopneumonia of calves]

The level of ascorbic acid in the blood plasma of 59 calves was determined. The age of the calves ranged between two and three months and the samples of blood were collected in January. The first group of calves included 30 animals displaying no clinical symptoms of disease: the average ascorbic acid level was 0.50 +/- 0.18 mg per 100 ml. In the second group, consisting of 19 calves, the blood of the animals was collected three weeks after the termination of the acute stage of bronchopneumonia; the average value of ascorbic acid was 0.30 +/- 0.14 mg per 100 ml. The lowest average value of ascorbic acid was obtained in the calves at an acute stage of bronchopneumonia, reaching 0.18 +/- 0.11 mg per 100 ml. The differences of results between groups I and II and between groups I and III were found to be statistically significant. A conspicuous drop of ascorbic acid level was ascertained in calves suffering from bronchopneumonia-this problem needs deeper scrutiny, owing to the fact that bronchopneumonia is responsible for considerable economic losses in large-capacity calf houses.     

The efficacy of ivermectin against nematode parasites of White Fulani calves

Ivermectin was evaluated for anthelmintic activity in calves naturally infected with gastrointestinal helminths. Five of 10 calves were treated subcutaneously with ivermectin at 200 micrograms per kg body weight. One-hundred percent efficacy was indicated against adult and immature Haemonchus, Trichostrongylus, Bunostomum phlebotomum and Oesophagostomum radiatum. Adult Cooperia were also completely eliminated, and a 95.5% reduction was obtained for the immature forms; an 88.7% reduction was obtained for Trichuris spp.     

EPIDEMIOLOGY OF HELMINTH INFESTATION OF BEEF CATTLE IN CENTRAL QUEENSLAND

The results of epidemiological studies of helminths in young beef cattle in Central Queensland over a 2½-year period commencing in January 1964 are reported. Studies were made on ten beef cattle properties, which have a total annual calf crop of approximately 2500 calves. Twenty-five faecal samples were collected monthly at random from 30 to 40 permanently identified calves on each property, to determine the types and intensity of helminth infections. Although rainfall was well below average, infections with most of the helminth species commonly found in Queensland were detected. Increases in infection levels occurred, after rainfall of two inches or more, in animals up to 21 months of age. Only on a property where pastures were irrigated and the stocking rate was higher than normal for the area did a high percentage of calves show clinical symptoms of parasitic gastroenteritis. Haemonchus placet and Oesophagostomum radiatum were the predominant species. An immunity developed to O. radiatum during the first 12 to 15 months of the calf's life. The immunity to H. placet was variable with some animals susceptible to re-infection up to 21 months of age. Recommendations for the control of helminths in beef cattle in this area are given.     

Dominant characteristics of helminth parasitism in cattle in Ituri (Haut-Zaire). I. The helminth fauna

The identification of cattle helminths in Ituri was carried out by post mortem examinations in slaughterhouses and tracer calves. The thirty diagnosed species were typical of wet tropical areas of Africa. The presence of Dictyocaulus viviparus, Ostertagia ostertagi and Haemonchus similis and the absence of Echinococcus granulosus constituted the original features of this inventory.     

Calf morbidity,mortality and parasite prevalences in the cotton zone of Burkina Faso

The objective of this study is to describe morbidity and mortality in calves <1-year-old and to associate the impact of gastrointestinal and haemoparasitoses on morbidity and mortality by comparing these parameters in ill and well calves in the cotton zone of Burkina Faso. Fifty-nine herds selected in two villages were involved. Calves born between February 1997 and February 1999 were monitored up to 1 year of age or until the end of the study in April 1999. Blood and faecal samples were taken from ill calves and matched with samples taken from well calves (as control) for analysis of haemoparasites and gastrointestinal worms. Infected ill calves were treated with a trypanocidal drug and/or an anthelmintic. Dead calves were necropsied; adult-worm burdens were determined and brain smears taken to detect the presence of Cowdria ruminantium. Diarrhoea was the main clinical observation and most calves shed worm eggs. The EPG for gastrointestinal parasites was higher neither in ill calves nor in diarrhoeal calves. Infections by trypanosome species were observed in ill calves only (prevalences of 8% and 15% in Daboura and Kourouma, respectively). Average PCV in infected calves (28%) was lower than that in non-infected calves (37%). Most ill calves (86%) recovered 2 weeks after the treatment with anthelmintic and/or trypanocide. The post-mortem worm counting in 12 calves revealed that half of necropsied calves had a burden ranging from 2040 to 20,072 helminths. Infection by Babesia bigemina was found in the blood smear of one ill calf and the presence of C. ruminantium was noted in the brain smear of one calf.     

Blood picture of calves from primiparae kept under large-scale production conditions in the early postnatal period]

Twelve calves of the Red Spotted breed and its crossbreds born by first-calvers, kept in a large-capacity stable of a dairy farm, were subject to the study of the ontogenetic development of the values of the blood picture from birth up to the 10th day of age. The erythrocyte and leucocyte count, the packed cell volume and the relative and absolute number of neutrophils reached the significantly highest levels in calves before drinking the colostrum. The amount of haemoglobin, MCV and MCHC reached the highest values on the first day after birth. The values of the red blood picture decreased in the first week of life and reached the minimum on the tenth day. The leucocyte count decreased during the first to second day after birth, the decrease being due to a drop of the absolute number of neutrophils, and on the tenth day the leucocyte count returned to its initial value. Neutrophils prevailed in the peripheral blood of new-born calves whereas lymphocytes prevailed in the peripheral blood from the fourth day of life on. The amount of cosinophiles in the peripheral blood of the calves was about 0.5% up to the fourth day; on the seventh day it exceeded 1%. The relative number of monocytes was at its minimum level just after birth and showed a significant increase during the second to fourth day.     

Coccidiosis associated with post-weaning diarrhoea in beef calves in a dry tropical region

The roles of helminths and coccidia in post-weaning diarrhoea in beef calves in the dry tropics were investigated. Diarrhoea occurred approximately one month after weaning in both anthelmintic treated and untreated calves. The highest numbers of coccidial oocysts were seen 29 days after weaning and 3 necropsies confirmed Eimeria zuernii coccidiosis. In the absence of wet overcrowded conditions, disease may have been precipitated by environmental interactions leading to suppression of host immunity. Other Eimeria identified were E. bukidnonensis, E. wyomingensis, E. bovis, E. auburnensis, E. cylindrica, E. ellipsoidalis and E. subspherica. The last 5 species are believed not to have been previously documented in Australia. The presence of E. canadensis was strongly suspected.     

The effect of low temperatures on biochemical indicators in the blood of calves]

Twenty calves, heifers of the Holstein-Friesian breed and crossbreds with the Slovak Pied breed, were divided into two groups at the average age of 19 days. The trial group was kept outdoors in wooden hutches and the control group was housed in an insulated building. Blood was sampled at the age of 20, 33, 48 and 60 days at the outdoor temperatures of 3 degrees C, -2 degrees C, -5 degrees C and -8 degrees C. The calves kept in hutches where temperatures were always lower than in the insulated calf-house had the higher level of nonesterified fatty acids in all observations. The largest, highly significant difference was determined at the age of 60 days at the outdoor temperature of -8 degrees C (271 mumol/l vs. 224 mumol/l), and the significance of differences was also observed in the first and third blood samplings at the temperatures of 3 degrees C and -5 degrees C. The differences were highly significant in the first group between the first and fourth, and second and fourth samplings. In the calves kept in the insulated building the difference was significant between the first and fourth observation because the content of free fatty acids was also gradually increasing in this case (Tab. I). Glycaemia values were also higher in the calves kept in hutches (Tab. II). The most noticeable (significant) difference was determined at the age of 48 days at the outdoor temperature of -5 degrees C (4.3 mmol/l vs. 3.9 mmol/l). Significant differences within the group were recorded only in calves from the trial group kept in hutches. Insulin concentrations increased gradually with the older age of animals (Tab. II). At the age of 20 days the values were identical in fact in both groups and the highest concentrations were recorded at the age of 60 days. The differences between the groups were not significant, the largest difference was observed at the end of milk feeding period at the age of 60 days (19 microUI/l in calves from hutches and 15.6 microUI/l in calves from the insulated building). Triiodothyronine concentrations decreased from the starting values of 0.8 nmol/l and 0.76 nmol/l in both groups at the age of 33 days to the values of 0.61 and 0.62 nmol/l.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)     

Further controlled evaluations of fenbendazole as a bovine anthelmintic.

The efficacy of fenbendazole (methyl-5-(phenythio)-2-benzimidazole-carbamate) in cattle parasitized by the lungworm Dictyocaulus viviparus and in other cattle parasitized by Haemonchus, Ostertagia, Trichostrongylus, Cooperia, and Oesophagostomum was investigated in 3 controlled critical experiments. A single treatment with 5.0 mg/kg of body weight administered in the feed or in a 10% suspension exceeded 99% efficacy against these helminths. Dosages of 1, 0.5, 0.35, and 0.25 mg/kg of body weight administered for 5 days to individual calves in their feed were 99% efficacious against all helminths, except Haemonchus. The 1.0 mg/kg dose removed 99.5% of the Haemonchus, and the other 3 dosages had efficacies of 91.0, 93.7, and 95.6%, respectively. The small daily dosages were not evaluated against Dictyocaulus.     

Controlled test of the efficacy of the feed premix formulation of crufomate on the parasites of the gastrointestinal tract and lungs of dairy calves

Activity of the feed premix formulation (M-1839) of crufomate against helminths of the gastrointestinal tract and lungs of cattle was determined in a controlled test. Eight calves were treated and 7 were nontreated. The dosage rate of crufomate was 17 mg of active drug/kg of body weight daily for 3 consecutive days. Removal activity was high against mature Cooperia oncophora (99%) and C punctata (96%) and immature Cooperia spp (87%). Removal of mature Ostertagia ostertagi was 68%. The removal of strongyloides papillosus and Bunostomum phlebotomum was 72% and 67%, respectively, but only a few specimens were present in the nontreated calves. Efficacies against the other mature and immature species of nematodes ranged from 0% to 34%. Lungworms (Dictyocaulus viviparus) were not effectively removed.     

Levels of serum IgE in response to gastrointestinal nematodes in cattle

Serum IgE concentration has been considered a valuable measurement in parasitic infections, yet little has been reported regarding cattle. This study examines the association of IgE levels of nematode-na?ve Holstein steer calves and the level of gastrointestinal parasitism acquired by grazing irrigated pasture for 30 days. Total IgE levels were determined by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) specific for bovine IgE on serum collected both before and after exposure to parasite-infected pastures. Following necropsy, parasite loads were determined by direct count from the contents of the abomasum, small intestine, cecum and large intestine; species of Ostertagia and Cooperia being the most common helminths found. Significant increases of IgE in the serum of calves with light infestations were seen, whereas calves with moderate to heavy infestations showed only mild IgE increases. With increased parasite burden, the frequency of increased IgE levels was reduced. Additionally, there appeared to be a seasonal correlation relating the level of serum IgE detected to the number of worms counted and to the course of parasite development.     

The activity of albendazole against adult and larval gastrointestinal nematodes in naturally infected calves in the Netherlands

Summary The activity of albendazole against gastrointestinal helminths in naturally infected calves in the Netherlands was tested. The calves were in their fist grazing season and kept in two groups of ten. One of these groups was grazed alternately with sheep. Five out of each group were drenched with albendazole (7.5 mg/kg) on the day they were housed (November 1). Before and 2, 14, and 28 days after treatment individual faecal samples were taken from all calves and larval cultures were made. Ten calves, six treated and four untreated, were killed for post mortem studies 14 days after treatment The remaining calves were slaughtered 14 days later. The drug was highly effective in reducing the egg output, measured as the number of larvae cultured per gram of faeces. Compared with the untreated calves, the reduction was more than 99% two days after treatment, 100% at 14 days, and 99% after 28 days. It was shown that egg output 28 days after treatment came from worms which had developed from arrested larvae of Ostertagia ostertagi that had survived treatment. Post mortem results showed an efficacy of 100% against adult O. ostertagi, of almost 100% against Trichostrongylus axei, and 100% against adult and larval Cooperia oncophora. Twenty-eight days after treatment, the reduction of arrested early fourth stages of O. ostertagi was 85% in comparison with the untreated calves. Apparently less effect was found against Trichuris ovis at the given dose rate.