Synonyms

No known synonym

 

Name of the disease in English

Other Escherichia coli diarrhea of calves

 

The disease in brief

E. coli other than enterotoxigenic strains (ETEC) cause diarrhea. These are:

- strains capable of attaching to the intestinal wall and destroying intestinal cells (attachment & effacing E. coli = AEEC), without producing enterotoxins

-Strains carrying Shiga toxin (=STEC) that cause hemorrhagic colitis in calves and uremic syndromes in humans. A special memo is reserved for them: Ecoli dysentery in calves VX10.2

-Other enteroaggregative (EAEC), diffusely adherent (DAEC), or enteroinvasive (EIEC) strains can also cause diarrhea.

AEEC or STEC strains that can be transmitted to humans, hygienic precautions must be taken by the breeder and his family when the presence of these strains is proven.

In practice, we can encounter associations of different AEEC, STEC strains with ETEC, sometimes with viruses… These colibacilli can play a role in diarrhea in the 2nd week of the calf's life (VX12.1) or in the 2nd fortnight of the calf's life (VX23).

 

Clinic & diagnosis

The involvement of these various colibacilli is suspected, not on the basis of clinical signs, but rather on epidemiological circumstances: diarrhea occurring between the ages of 6 days and 30 days appearing in calves vaccinated against ETEC viruses and colibacilli.

 

Typical sign of the disease

 No description

 

Pictures

See below

 

Diagnostic formulas

No description

 

Differential diagnosis

-Milky indigestion in bucket-fed calves VX17.1

-White Diarrhea of Suckling Calves VX18

-Cryptosporidial calf diarrhea VX12

-Acute BVD of the calf VX15

 

Confirm a suspicion?

Collect fecal material at the onset of illness and direct the sample to a laboratory capable of characterizing a wide range of strains.

 

Prognosis and treatment

Treatment of this colibacillosis is the same as for enterotoxigenic strains-ETEC:

1-Rehydration: Treatment is based primarily on controlling hydration and acid-base balance; an assessment of this is made in the general condition section:

-Calves that are tonic and have a normal sucking reflex can receive oral rehydration, but this is a case that almost does not exist with this disease. 

-The other calves are perfused: the volume and composition of the perfused liquid are defined either by clinical examination alone or by laboratory evaluation.

-2-Antibacterial/general route: The risk of bacteremia is greater in these newborn calves, which justifies the inclusion of general antibiotics in the treatment.

3-Antidiarrheal-antibacterial/oral route: Also if bacteria remains in the intestine

4-Feed the calf: Continue breast feeding if appetite is there with a good sucking reflex.

 

Prevention

 Control of these colibacillary diarrheas must be considered by considering that these bacteria act with other pathogens. Overall control of diarrheas is essential because they cause losses through mortality and generate additional and difficult work for the farmer. This prevention requires an analysis of the risk factors of the breeding and interventions in the management of the breeding, the breeding buildings and nutrition; when diarrheas are rampant, often at the end of winter (vitamin A deficiency), we should not hope to stop the problem, but take the decision to organize prevention for the following season; it will concern:

-Providing sufficient quantity of quality colostrum is one of the key points.

- Calf housing

-Breastfeeding

- Disinfection of premises infected by AEEC or STEC strains should be prescribed at the end of the calving season.

Vaccines exist

A supply of colostrum

 

References

Rebhun's disease of dairy cattle; Various DJs, Peek SF 3^rd edition by Ed. Saunders Elsevier