Abstract
Field trials were conducted using an inactivated rotavirus vaccine for prevention of calf neonatal diarrhea.
For the trials, 458 pregnant cows from 26 herds were involved. In each herd, cows which had been inseminated within a period of two months were selected and randomly subdivided in two groups. Cows in one group (248 head in total) were vaccinated 6 weeks before calving and again 4 weeks later; cows in the other group (210 head in total) were left as unvaccinated controls. At calving, colostrum was collected from each cow and stored at -30°C until used for feeding calves.
The newborn calves, beginning the second day of life and for the next 7–10 consecutive days, each was fed a daily supplement of 400 ml of colostrum from its dam.
The diarrhea occurred in 86 (40.9%) calves that had received colostrum from unvaccinated dams (normal colostrum), and in 7 (2.8%) calves which were fed colostrum from vaccinated dams (immune colostrum). The disease was very severe in the normal colostrum-fed calves and 52 of them died. Those calves which survived the disease underwent a significant loss of condition. By contrast, the 7 immune colostrum-fed calves displayed a rather mild enteric condition, and all recovered without any sequela being observed.
Article PDF
Similar content being viewed by others
Avoid common mistakes on your manuscript.
References
BürkiF., SchusserG. and SzekelyH. (1983): Clinical, virological and serological evaluation of the efficacy of peroral live rotavirus vaccination in calves kept under normal husbandry conditions. -Zbl. Vet. Med. B., 30, 237–250.
CastrucciG., FerrariM., FrigeriF., CilliV., DonelliG., AngetilloG. and BruggiM. (1983): A study of cytopathic rotavirus strains isolated from calves with acute enteritis. - Comp. Immun. Microbiol. Infect. Dis., 6, 253–264.
CastrucciG., FrigeriF., FerrariM., CitliV., CaleffiF., AldrovandiV. and NigrelliA. (1984): The efficacy of colostrum from cows vaccinated with rotavirus in protecting calves to experimentally induced rotavirus infection. - Comp. Immun. Microbiol. Infect. Dis., 7, 11–18.
DeLeettwP.W., EllensD.J., TalntonF.P. and ZimmerG.N. (1980): Rotavirusinfections in calves: efficacy of oral vaccination in endemically infected herds. - Res. vet. Sci., 29, 142–147.
MebusC.A., UnderdahlN.R., RhodesM.B. and TwiehausM.J. (1969): Calf diarrhoea (scours): Reproduced with a virus from a field outbreak. -Nebraska Agric. Exp. Stat. Res. Bull., 233, 1–16.
MebusC.A., WhiteR.G., BassE.P. and TwiehausM.J. (1973): Immunity to calf diarrhea virus. - J. Am. vet. med. Ass., 163: 880–883.
SnodgrassD.R., FaheyK.J., WellsP.W., CampbellI. and WhitelawA. (1980): Passive immunity in calf rotavinzs infections: maternal vaccination increases and prolongs immunoglobulins GI antibody secretion in milk. - Infect. Immun., 28, 344–349.
SnodgrassD.R., StewartJ., TaylorJ., KrantilF.L. and SmithM.L. (1982): Diarrhoea in dairy calves reduced by feeding colostrum from cows vaccinated with rotavirus. - Res. vet. Sci., 32, 70–73.
ThurberE.T., BassE.P. and BeckenahuerW.H. (1977): Field trial evaluation of a reo-coronavirus calf diarrhea vaccine. - Can. J. Comp. Med., 41, 131–136.
TwiehausM.J. and MebusC.A. (1974): Licensing and use of the calf scour vaccine. - Proc. Ann. Meet. ITS Anim. Health Ass., 77, 55–58.
VanOpdenboschE., WellemansG., StrobbeR., DeBrabanderD.L. and Boucque'Ch. V. (1980): Evolution des anticorps anti rota dans le lait de vaches traitees en fin de gestation soft par le vaccin anti rota cornplet, soit par l'adjuvant seul. -Comp. Immun. Microbiol. Infect. Dis., 4, 293–300.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Castrucci, G., Frigeri, F., Angelillo, V. et al. Field trial evaluation of an inactivated rotavirus vaccine against neonatal diarrhea of calves. Eur J Epidemiol 3, 5–9 (1987). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00145064
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00145064