Assessment of Influential Factors for Scours Associated with Cryptosporidium sp., Rotavirus and Coronavirus in Calves from Argentinean Dairy Farms

BERTONI, E; BARRAGA, A; BOK, M; MARTINEZ, M; GIL, JF; CIMINO, RO; PARREÑO, V

Animals

MDPI Multidisciplinary Digital Publishing Institute

Año: 2021

2076-2615

Scours is the most commondisease in dairy calves, and it is a multifactorial syndrome complex. Cryptosporidium sp. (C. sp.), rotavirus group A (RVA), and bovinecoronavirus (BCoV)are the three main pathogens associated with scours. Theobjective of this study was to identify potential factors associated withscours, C. sp.,RVA, and BCoV infections in preweaned dairy calves from Lerma Valley in SaltaProvince, Argentina. A total of 488 preweaned calves from 19 dairy farmslocated in the Lerma Valley were enrolled in this observational study. Onefecal sample was collected from each calf between one week and two months ofage for assessment of C. sp., RVA, and BCoV infection status. Cryptosporidiumsp. oocysts and RVA andBCoV antigens in fecal samples were assessed using microscopic observation andindirect enzyme-linked immune sorbent assay (iELISA), respectively. A voluntaryquestionnaire was developed and used to collect data regarding managementpractices from the participants? farms. The data were analyzed using multivariable logisticregression models. Scours incidence was 35.4%, and a greater proportion ofcalves younger than 20 days were affected. Of the fecal samples, 18% and 9.5% testedpositive for Cryptosporidium sp. andRVA, respectively, while BCoV was detected only in two calves. Furthermore, 84.2% and 63.1% of the farms testedpositive for Cryptosporidium sp. andRVA, respectively. In addition, the following variables were associated withhigher odds of having scours: (1) farm size (>300 milking cows; OR = 1.7), (2) calf age (